
Ocean Plan Requirements for Seawater Desalination Facilities
Announcements
Seawater Desalination Overview
Desalination facilities produce freshwater by removing salts from brackish or saltwater for municipal, industrial, or other uses. Seawater desalination draws water from the ocean and passes the water through a membrane, resulting in an amount of fresh water and an amount of hypersaline brine. The Ocean Plan includes requirements to ensure the construction and operation of seawater desalination facilities minimize intake and mortality of all forms of marine life. Mitigation measures are required to address harmful impacts to marine life that occur even when a desalination facility uses the best available site, design, and technology feasible. State Water Board Resources Control Board Resolution 2015-0033 describes the responsibility regarding the siting, planning, construction, and operation of desalination plants in the state of California.
Seawater Desalination Facilities
- Desalination Plant Entrainment Impacts and Mitigation, October 9, 2013
- Hyper-Salinity Toxicity Thresholds for Nine California Ocean Plan Toxicity Test Protocols, July 2012
- Mitigation and Fees for the Intake of Seawater by Desalination and Power Plants, March 14, 2012
- Management of Brine Discharges to Coastal Waters - Recommendations of a Science Advisory Panel, March 2012
The Seawater Desalination MOA memorializes the relationship between agencies to coordinate timely and effective review of environmental documents and permits or lease applications for proposed seawater desalination facilities, and demonstrates the Water Boards’ ongoing commitment to interagency coordination. The included agencies and their websites can be found below:
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
California Coastal Commission
National Marine Fisheries Service’s West Coast Region
North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board
Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board
San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board
State Water Resources Control Board
Mona Dougherty
Mona.Dougherty@waterboards.ca.gov
707-445-6129
Region 2 – San Francisco Bay
Thomas Mumley
Thomas.Mumley@waterboards.ca.gov
510-622-2395
Peter von Langen
Peter.VonLangen@waterboards.ca.gov
805-549-3688
Region 4 – Los Angeles
Jeong-Hee Lim
Jeong-Hee.Lim@waterboards.ca.gov
951-576-6616
Terri Reeder
Terri.Reeder@waterboards.ca.gov
951-782-4995
Region 9 – San Diego
Fisayo Osibodu
Olufisayo.Osibodu@waterboards.ca.gov
619-521-8036
Contact the State Water Board
Clifton Herrmann
Recycled Water and Desalination Unit
Clifton.Herrmann@waterboards.ca.gov
916-327-8638
Laura McLellan
Recycled Water and Desalination Unit
Laura.McLellan@waterboards.ca.gov
916-319-8288