2019 Annual Report
Diversification
and Efficiency
In 1944, President Roosevelt ordered the U.S. Navy to construct Pipeline 1, connecting the Colorado River Aqueduct in Riverside County to San Vicente Reservoir.
NEW PERMIT FOSTERS SUSTAINABLE WATER FUTURE
San Diego regional water quality regulators in May issued a permit for the installation of new, technologically advanced and environmentally sensitive seawater intake and discharge facilities at the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant. The plant – and the new permit – support Gov. Gavin Newsom’s April executive order for California “to think differently and act boldly by developing a comprehensive strategy to build a climate-resilient water system.”
The new intake-discharge system is needed for long-term operations of the nation’s largest seawater desalination plant, which started commercial production in December 2015 using water withdrawn from the Agua Hedionda Lagoon for once-through cooling at the Encina Power Station.
“The Carlsbad Desalination Plant is an invaluable asset for the state and region that helps us adapt to the changing climate and sustain a $231 billion regional economy. It is the most environmentally sensitive and technologically advanced plant of its kind in the nation – part of our commitment to collaborative projects and integrated water solutions for San Diego and the Southwest.”
Water Authority Board of Directors