The Water Authority was pleased to take a group of Imperial Valley representatives on a tour of the Claude “Bud” Lewis Desalination Plant in Carlsbad on Jan. 22. The tour not only offered a chance to see the operational plant, which went on line in December, but also provided a great opportunity for Valley representatives and Water Authority board members to get to know each other . This was the second such tour organized by the Water Authority for the Imperial Valley. The first tour took place in October 2014. At that time, Valley leaders and community members had a chance to see the newly constructed San Vincente Dam raise project along with the desalination plant, which at that time was under construction.

The Jan. 22 tour included an inside tour of the operational plant—including a chance to drink desalinated water—and a tour of the Water Authority’s Twin Oaks

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December saw the dedication and start of operations of California’s first seawater desalination Plant in Carlsbad. Named in honor of former Carlsbad Mayor Claude “Bud” Lewis, the desalination plant is the result of a 30-year water purchase agreement between the San Diego County Water Authority and the plant’s builder and operator, Poseidon Water. The plant will produce up to 56,000 acre-feet of water per year, roughly a million gallons per day, enough to serve 400,000 households per year.

The Claude “Bud” Lewis Desalination Plant has become a critical part of the Water Authority’s efforts to diversify its water supply and provide new reliable water resources for its member agencies. But the importance of the desalination plant extends beyond what it means to the Water Authority and the San Diego area. Tapping into desalinated seawater is a critical step forward for all of California, not only as the State struggles

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