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Board debates keeping desalination on the table after county feasibility study
Summary
District staff summarized a county desalination feasibility study that identified five general candidate areas; some board members urged keeping desalination and emerging technologies under consideration while others prioritized finishing the intertie and local resilience projects first.
The general manager briefed the board on a county desalination feasibility study that identified five generalized areas where a desalination facility could be sited and concluded that additional engineering, environmental review, finances and governance would be required before any project could proceed. The GM said he did not expect immediate progress from the study but noted Los Osos had been mentioned as an area needing water and could connect regionally if an intertie existed.
Board members split on next steps. Some urged the district to continue exploring desalination concepts and emerging desalination technologies and to work with regional partners such as WRAC (the countywide water-action collaborations). Others said limited staff and resources make prioritizing the intertie and local projects more realistic for the near term. One board member described the county study as limited by grant funding and scope and argued the district should "stay diligent" and keep watching technological developments.
The discussion did not produce a formal motion; the board agreed to continue monitoring the county process and desalination discussions at regional meetings.
