History of Long Beach Seawater Desalination Project      Last Updated: 10/03/06 October 9, 1996 Federal legislation, Public Law (104-266) under House of Representatives' H.R. 3660, authorizes Federal participation in the Long Beach Desalination Research and Demonstration Program. October 2001 Pilot Plant (9,000 gpd research facility): Begins operation, research indicates energy savings of 20% or 30%. November 12, 2001 FY 2001-02 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill provides $1,000,000 in federal funding.  Sponsored by Rep. Steve Horn; Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald; Senator Dianne Feinstein. June 11, 2002 Prototype Plant (300,000 GPD Research Facility): Receive National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Categorical Exclusion. August 15, 2002 Rep. Ken Calvert, Chairman, Subcommittee on Water & Power of the United States House of Representatives, inspects the Long Beach 9,000 GPD Research Facility. August 30, 2002 300,000 GPD Prototype Plant: California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) permit effective. September 9, 2002 Execute funding agreement with U.S. Department of Interior; Bureau of Reclamation (USBR). October 28, 2002 300,000 GPD Prototype Plant: Execute siting agreement with Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). November 7, 2002 300,000 GPD Prototype Plant: Authorize engineering design services agreement. February 20, 2003 FY 2002-03 Public Law (108-7), under omnibus appropriations bill H.J. Res. 2, provides $1,000,000 in federal funding, bringing total federal appropriations to $2.0 million.  Sponsored by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, Senator Dianne Feinstein. May 11, 2003 300,000 GPD Prototype Plant: Receive Conditional Use Permit, Site Plan Review, and Local Coastal Development Permit. August 7, 2003 300,000 GPD Prototype Plant: Receive California Coastal Commission's Coastal Development Permit. October 23, 2003 300,000 GPD Prototype Plant: Award construction contract. November 6, 2003 300,000 GPD Prototype Plant: Authorize construction management agreement. November 11, 2003 300,000 GPD Prototype Plant: Groundbreaking ceremony; speakers include USBR Commissioner John Keyes, Representative Juanita Millender-McDonald, Representative Dana Rohrabacher, Long Beach Mayor Beverly O'Neill, and other dignitaries. November 23, 2003 FY 2003-04 Energy and Water Appropriations bill provides $700,000 in federal funding, bringing total federal appropriations to $2.7 million.  Sponsored by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald and Senator Dianne Feinstein. January 19, 2004 King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, of Tonga, visits Long Beach to inspect the 9,000 GPD Seawater Desalination Research Project. June 10, 2004 300,000 GPD Prototype Plant: Receive National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. November 22, 2004 The United States Congress approves $1 million in funding for nationally-impacting desal research efforts, bring total federal investment to $3.7 million.  Sponsored by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald and Senator Dianne Feinstein. April 12, 2005 $3 million awarded for the Long Beach desalination project's Under Ocean Floor Intake & Discharge Demonstration System by the California Department of Water Resources. May 24, 2005 Kevin L. Wattier, General Manager of the Long Beach Water Department, is invited to provide testimony on energy reduction and other costs of the desalination process before the Resources Subcommittee on Water & Power of the United States House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. May 24, 2005 United States House of Representatives passes its FY '06 Energy & Water Development Appropriations bill, providing $1,250,000 for the Long Beach Desalination Project's Under Ocean Floor Intake & Discharge Demonstration Project. June 1, 2005 Rep. George Radanovich, Chairman of the Resources Subcommittee on Water & Power of the U.S. House of Representatives visits the Long Beach Desalination Project. July 1, 2005 United States Senate passes its FY '06 Energy & Water Development Appropriations bill, providing $1,250,000 for the Long Beach Desalination Project's Under Ocean Floor Intake & Discharge Demonstration Project. August 15, 2005 Rep. Devin Nunes, Member of the Committee on Ways & Means of the United States House of Representatives, visits the Long Beach 300,000 GPD Prototype Plant. August 23, 2005 Long Beach Water Signs Desalination Production Incentive Agreement with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.  Agreement is for up to $62.5 million over a 20-year period. August 29, 2005 Department files Notice of Intent to adopt Mitigated Negative Declaration for Under Ocean Floor Intake & Discharge Demonstration Project. September 30, 2005 The 300,000 GPD Long Beach Seawater Desalination Prototype Facility begins operations.  Representative Dana Rohrabacher and Michael Gabaldon of the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation attend opening. October 20, 2005 City of Long Beach Planning Commission certifies the Mitigated Negative Declaration and approves a Local Coastal Development Permit for the Under Ocean Floor Seawater Intake and Discharge Demonstration Project. January 18, 2006 The Office of Naval Research visits the Long Beach 300,000 GPD Prototype Plant. February 23, 2006 National Seawater Desalination Effort Announces Major Research Initiatives April 11, 2006 California Coastal Commission Approves Coastal Development Permit for Under Ocean Floor Desalination Demonstration System May 30, 2006 The Long Beach Seawater Desalination Research and Development Facility is officially commissioned after successfully completing a three-day operational test of all systems at full power. June 28, 2006 Pacific Institute study sites Long Beach's measured and transparent approach to seawater desalination June 30, 2006 Long Beach Water receives $1 million for seawater desalination research from the California Department of Water Resources September 7, 2006 The United States Patent Office issues a Notice of Allowance for Patent Protection for Long Beach's groundbreaking seawater desalination process . September 21, 2006 Mark Limbaugh, Assistant Secretary for Water & Science for the United States Department of Interior, inspects the Long Beach Seawater Desalination Research and Development facility with Reclamation officials Robert Johnson and Brenda Burman. October 31, 2006 Larry Todd, Deputy Commissioner for Policy, Administration and Budget for United States Reclamation, inspects the Long Beach Seawater Desalination Facility, the nation's largest seawater desalination research and development operation, being conducted by the Long Beach Water Department, United States Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources.