>> >>ALISON: YOU MAY RECOGNIZE THE SPOT JUST NORTH OF THE DISTINCTIVE TOWER OF THE ENCINO
POWER PLANT IN CARLSBAD.
THERE ARE MANY REASONS THAT A PRIVATE COMPANY CHOSE THIS SITE FOR A HUGE DESALINATION PLANT.
POSEIDON'S PETER SAID SAN DIEGO BADLY NEEDS AN INSURANCE POLICY IN CASE IT GETS CUT OFF
FROM WATER SUPPLIES.
>> >>: WE GET ALMOST 90% OF OUR WATER FROM SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE SAN DIEGO COUNTY AND THAT
SOMEWHERE ELSE IS THE SUBJECT OF INTENSE COMPETITION, SUBJECT OF COMPREHENSIVE REGULATIONS AND DROUGHT,
AND DEPENDS ON SNOW PACK AND RAIN FALL TO GET HERE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN FOR PARTIAL SOLUTION TO SAN DIEGO'S SUPPLIES TOÊ
FOR AT LEAST ONE SOURCE THAT'S UNDER LOCAL CONTROL, DROUGHT PROOF AND NOT DEPENDING ON
SNOW PACK AND RAIN FALL.
>> >>: ANOTHER REASON THIS IS A GOOD SITE IS POSEIDON WILL BE ABLE TO USE THE OCEAN
INTAKE AND OUT FALL TOWER.
>> >>: FOR THE PURPOSE OF DESALINATION PLANT WE'RE GOING TO USE 300ÊMILLION DOLLAR GALLONS
A DAY.
>> >>: 100ÊMILLION WILL GO THROUGH A REVERSE US A MOWS OWS SYSTEM.
>> >>: INTRODUCE THE SEA WATER THROUGH THESE LITTLE HOLES UNDER HIGH PRESSURE.
AS THE WALTER FLOWS DOWN THROUGH THE MEMBRANE, SOME OF IT WHICH IS FLOWING THROUGH THESE
BLUE CHANNELS IS GOING TO PASS ACROSS THE MEMBRANE AND BECOME FRESH WATER AND ENTER
THIS CENTER COLLECTION TUBE.
THE FRESH WATER COMES OUT THE MIDDLE AND THE REMAINING SALTS AND THE REMAINING SEA WATER
WILL FLOW STRAIGHT THROUGH OUT THE BACK.
>> >>: WATER GOES THROUGH THESE FILTERS EIGHT TIMES BEFORE IT'S DRINKABLE.
THE MEMBRANES INSIDE ARE ENOUGH TO STRETCH FROM SAN DIEGO TO SACRAMENTO.
THE EXTRA SALTY SEA WATER GO BACK TO THE OCEAN.
>> >>: FOR EVERY GALLON OF CONCENTRATION SEA WATER, WE BRING IN TWO GALLONS TO MIX WITH
IT BEFORE THE COMBINED FLOW GOES TO THE OCEAN.
>> >>: CRITICS SAY THE COMPANY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DILUTE THE WATER ENOUGH.
THEY ACCUSE THE PROJECT FOR MAKING MONEY FOR INVESTORS AT THE EXPENSE OF RATE PAYERS.
INVESTORS PAY FOR THE PLANT BUT WILL BE PAID BACK AS RATE PAYERS BUY THE WATER.
CRITICS SAY RECYCLING EXISTING WATER SUPPLIES WOULD BE CHEAPER.
ORANGE COUNTY ALREADY HAS A BIG RECYCLING PLANT, BUT IT SEEDS WATER FROM THE PLANT INTO
A HUGE GROUND WATER BASIN BEFORE TREATING IT AGAIN.
SAN DIEGO DOESN'T HAVE SUCH AN UNDER GROUND HOLDING TANK AND GETTING STATE PERMITS IS
MORE DIFFICULT.
DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER OF SAN DIEGO'S WATER AUTHORITY SAYS THE COUNTY COULD BE COULDN'T
PASS UP THIS PROJECT.
>> >>: THIS PROJECT IS READY TO GO AT THIS POINT.
AND I THINK WHEN IPR IS READY TO GO THERE WILL BE A NEED THERE AS WELL.
>> >>: CARL SAYS RATE PAYERS WILL SEE THE BENEFIT OF BUILDING THE DESALINATION PLANT
NOW BECAUSE INTEREST RATES ARE REALLY LOW AND BORROWING MONEY FOR THE PROJECT IS CHEAP.
>> >>: IT'S A VERY GOOD TIME TO BE HITTING THE BUY MARKET.
>> >>: THERE ARE 24 DIFFERENT WATER AGENCIES REPRESENTED ON THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER
AUTHORITY.
GARY OF THE VALLEY CENTER WATER DISTRICT SUPPORTS THE DESALINATION PROJECT.
>> >>: THE REALITY IS THAT THE CHEAP WATER SUPPLIES, THE STATE WATER PROJECT, COLORADO
RIVER, THAT'S OVER.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE NEXT N INCREMENT OF SUPPLY IS GOING TO BE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.
>> >>: HE IS WORRIED THAT SOME DISTRICTS MIGHT END UP BEARING THE BRUNT OF THE COST OF THE
DESALINATED WATER.
HE HAS CONCERNS ABOUT HOW THE EXTRA COSTS WILL BE SHARED CROSS THE REGION.
>> >>: THERE'S NO CERTAINTY OF HOW IT'S GOING TO TURN OUT.
>> >>: WATER RATES WILL GOA BE GOING UP.
>> >>: MAKE A COPY OF YOUR WATER BILL AND STICK IT IN THE DRAWER AND PULL IT OUT IN
10 YEARS AND IT WILL LOOK VERY CHEAP.
>> >>: SANDRA CARL SAYS A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL BE WATCHING HOW THIS DESALINATION PROJECT
GOES.
>> >>: THERE'S 12 DESAL PROJECTS IN VARIOUS STAGES OF CONSIDERATION IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
DEPENDING ON HOW THIS PROJECT GOES, WILL, I'M SURE, IMPACT WHETHER OR NOT THOSE PROJECTS
MOVE FORWARD.
FOR CALIFORNIA THAT IS VERY DEPENDENT ON WATER, AND VERY CHALLENGED BY WATER SOURCES, IT COULD
PROVIDE AN OPENING TO THIS STATE THAT HASN'T BEEN THERE BEFORE TO HAVE A MUCH MORE RELIABLE
SOURCE OF SUPPLY.
>> >>: DESALINATING WATER FROM THE OCEAN IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN RECYCLING EXISTING SOURCES
OF DRINKING WATER.
THE UNFORTUNATE PHRASE TOILET TO TAP HAS MADE RECYCLING MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE PUBLIC TO
SWALLOW.
THE DECISION TO BUY WATER FROM THIS DESALINATION PLANT IS AN HISTORIC ONE, BUT IT WILL BE YEARS
IN THE FUTURE UNTIL WE KNOW IF IT WAS A WISE CHOICE.