Most knew that it was only a formality, but this morning the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board met to vote on Poseidon Resources proposed desalination plant in Carlsbadistan’s Aqua Hedionda lagoon. And guess what? It was a unanimous approval according to a Michael Burge story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The ruling clears the way for Poseidon Resources to turn 50 million gallons of ocean water a day into drinking water on the grounds of the Encina Power Station at Agua Hedionda Lagoon. . . Peter MacLaggan, Poseidon’s senior vice president, said the decision means the company can begin building the $320 million plant, with the goal of providing water by early 2012. . . The water quality board has required Poseidon to create 55.4 acres of new wetlands in Southern California to provide a nursery for fish and other marine organisms that will be killed in the desalination plant’s processes.
And “progress” marches on.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
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why are there quotation marks around “progress”?
Those quotes are around the word “progress” to denote irony. As you may have noticed from our previous posts we are not exactly supporters of the desalination plant.
For some real irony read the Poseidon post and the “level 2 drought” post back to back.
i quit surfrider foundation because of their stand on this. san diego needs a desalination plant and this location is a good location. having a source of water in our county could be critical if and when the north to south delivery system ever fails, ie major earthquake along the aquaducts. It is just smart to have something like this to provide another source of water and in case of some sort of disaster, a local source of water. It is unfortunate that their will be some environmental negatives with this project but the long term benefits for our region outway the negatives in my opinion
Just look at some old pictures of San diego and you’ll see that every tree and blade of grass outside your window has been imported and now supported by the millions of gallons piped down from the Sierra. We’ll all know how that snowpack is holding up. Drive past a vacant lot and see what happens to the vegetation when it exists in the natural rainfall environment. We get enough natural rainfall to support a few tribes of people who hunt and fish near the handful of fresh water sources that exist year round in the county. Unless we want to live under those conditions, we have no choice but to use our technology to sustain what we have built.
Well, its easy, Editors of Carlsbadistan, to snark and smirk. I understand – its your site, after all, and I suppose its what makes this site “edgy” and “hip”, outside of simply linking to other peoples work.
It does stimulate conversation, though, so here is another comment from the reality-based-community.
Personally, I’d like to be able to get a drink when I turn the tap on.
As the previous poster accurately notes, San Diego County is one large desert.
When the water from up north stops (think earthquake, for example, before politicians) it will take approximately two weeks for local supplies to run out.
When that happens you will be one of many lining up to live or stay with friends in Carlsbad where you can count on water to come out when you turn the tap on.
Isn’t it ironic that the editors don’t want a desal plant in carlsbad because of “environmental” issues…
Well its the same “environmental” issues that have caused water flowing down the california aqueduct from sacramento to be significantly cut back due to the smelt population, a fish that lives in the sacramento delta.
Next it will be the Colorado river aqueduct which is shared between 3 major metropolis’s.
So lastly theres toilet to tap, won’t that process demand more energy than everything else in filtration? And in this case you trust with your health that your potable water is always fresh after the filtration process?
Before you start lecturing people with an elitist smirk holding your nonfat decaf soy vanilla latte with your pinky in the air think realistically about the issues we’re going through people.
Look out… the coffee shop yuppies are in charge and dictating how we live our lives
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