Water Board renews permit for Poseidon plant

Poseidon Water has been granted a permit from the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board for its desalination plant in Huntington Beach, a project that has been in the works for roughly two decades. The board’s order is conditional and requires Poseidon to minimize negative impacts on marine life by undertaking a series of mitigation measures and prohibits the intake of seawater and the discharge of concentrated brine until certain conditions are met.

Poseidon has agreed to install fine mesh, wedge wire screens on the plant’s intake pipe and affix a diffuser to its discharge structure to reduce marine mortality and impacts of the brine effluent to the ocean. The company also agreed to expand its mitigation plans at the Bolsa Chica Wetlands and to create an artificial reef offshore of Palos Verdes to restore rocky reef habitat buried by recent landslides.

“Reaching this compromise decision was long awaited as the board invested the time required to reach a decision that protects the environment and serves the community,“ said Lana Peterson, Chair of the Santa Ana Water Board. “In reaching our decision, the board upheld our duties to protect ocean water quality and marine life, while balancing Poseidon’s concerns regarding construction financing of the proposed facility and the Orange County Water District’s need to secure a reliable, sustainable water source that protects against climate change and prolonged droughts.”

Poseidon Water’s proposed $1.4 billion facility would be built on 12 acres of land adjacent to the AES Huntington Beach power plant and is projected to produce 50 million gallons per day of potable water.

Poseidon will still need to get approval from the California Coastal Commission in order to move forward with plans and will still need to finalize a purchase agreement with the Orange County Water District in order to have customers.