Long Beach Water Department Advancing in Effort to Receive Massive Financial Incentive for Construction of Seawater Desalination Plant

LONG BEACH - The Long Beach Water Department is another step closer to being awarded a large financial incentive from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) that could amount to more than $60 million over the life of the Long Beach Seawater Desalination Project. Long Beach Water Department's recently submitted Statement of Interest was approved on Tuesday, March 5, by MWD.

Signaling both a need and its support for seawater desalination in Southern California, in November 2001, MWD invited proposals for the development of cost-effective seawater desalination projects that contribute to Southern California's overall water supply reliability. Selected Projects will be eligible to receive funding assistance up to $250 per acre-foot for deliveries of project water, which in Long Beach's case, would constitute about 30 percent of the total cost of production. MWD has invited the Department to submit a detailed proposal for further consideration by June 28.

"Southern California must continue to diversify its portfolio of water supplies. Desalinated seawater is the next major supply for Southern California," stated Helen Z. Hansen, both a Long Beach Water Commissioner and Director with the Metropolitan Water District. "Over the last few years, Commissioner Hansen and the Board of Water Commissioners have taken an important leadership role in moving MWD toward development of seawater desalination in Southern California," stated Kevin Wattier, General Manager of the Long Beach Water Department.

Long Beach Water hopes to lock up a funding commitment from MWD by the end of the year. This funding, combined with continued federal funding and recent technological innovations, will make seawater desalination an affordable, reliable, high quality new water supply for the City of Long Beach.