CPUC approves CalAm water demand, leaving some people in Marina upset
The battle continues between The City of Marina and California American Water after the California Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to adopt water supply and demand estimates for the controversial proposed desalination project, on Thursday.
"It's going to challenge us to continue fighting a very unnecessary and large, expensive groundwater desalinization plant that is not needed and not wanted by most of our communities," Bruce Delgado, Marina city mayor, said.
This project has been going on for years. It proposes using new methods, that are less harmful to sea life, that take ocean water from a groundwater basin in Marina and treat it into drinkable and usable water.
All of this is in hopes to prepare against droughts and have access to more treated water.
The California Coast Commission approved the project years ago but with stringent conditions; one being that CalAM needed to get the CPUC's approval, which they now have.
"This project is (a) need and it's not going to harm the surrounding community," Josh Stratton, CalAm manager of external affairs, said.
The concerns coming from The City of Marina surround groundwater impacts and environmental harms.
They note that they would not receive the water being taken, but would potentially experience the price increases.
"Marina bares all the harm and gets not a drop," Delgado said.
CalAm said that Marina not getting any water is because of their own choice to opt out.
"We don't serve water to marina because they're not accepting it. So they're not because they're not impacted by this project at all," Stratton said. "I don't want the community to think that we're stealing the water because we're absolutely not."
Delgado said the decision was expected and that the city council knows they have to keep going.
As for CalAm, they are excited that the project is moving along.
"It is a major step forward for our project," Stratton said.
CalAm said they plan to break ground and start building this year. They also said they hope to be operational within a couple of years.
