Archives

Visitor Counter

322528
Visit Today : 164
Visit Yesterday : 42
This Month : 1541
This Year : 9831
Total Visit : 322528
Hits Today : 1494
Total Hits : 1071529
Who's Online : 1
Your IP Address: 44.212.26.248
Server Time: 24-03-28

County Will Further Study Desal Pipeline To Los Osos & Lopez Lake

August 21,2015-

SLO County supervisors are expected to approve a staff plan to further study connecting the existing desalination plant at Diablo Canyon power plant to Los Osos as well as Lopez Lake in an effort to stem seawater intrusion in the midst of the drought. The agenda item for August 25 directs “staff to engage potential stakeholders in the Santa Maria and Los Osos Groundwater Basins regarding drought relief opportunities.”

In their Desalination Opportunities Summary Report to be delivered to the BOS, county staff described “near term opportunities”utilizing existing unused capacity at the Diablo Canyon desal water plant to make available potable water to Los Osos though a new pipline and/or the northern Santa Maria groundwater district likely through a pipeline to Lopez Lake. The study says the plant could connect to the Avila Beach with a 7-mile pipeline and/or Los Osos with an 11-mile pipeline. It says connecting to Los Osos would be “somewhat more complex.”

As to benefits for Los Osos, the report says “under current conditions, replacing 460 AFY of lower aquifer production in the Western Area with an alternative potable water source would halt seawater intrusion into the Lower Aquifer (reference: Updated Basin Plan for the Los Osos Groundwater Basin.”

By contrast the Santa Maria groundwater Basin requires 1026AFY to offset urban pumping to mitigate against seawater intrusion there.

The desal plant can provide 500 AFY at current capacity and 1000 AFY at full capacity says the study.

The report says the county should move on an “emergency“ basis to work with potential partners on a financial plan and do the preliminary engineering to garner grants and start regulatory approvals.

The report says PG&E is working to provide cost estimates to the county.

County Supervisor Adam Hill says it is likely both watersheds might get relief in a phased program that could start by utilizing an existing pipeline to Lopez Lake.

As for Los Osos “we’ve already started talking to purveyors there about the possibilities.”

Both watersheds  “are on the critical list” he adds.

Still to be sorted out – how much will this cost and who will pay what share?

“Long term we could see water from the desal plant injected into wells to push back the seawater in Los Osos.”

Since PG&E uses just 35% of the capacity at the desal plant that is “already operating and fully permitted – it makes sense to move on this now.”

Hill notes that PG&E is more than cooperative – “even enthusiastic” saying the utility may want to get into the water business in the future.

Screen Shot 2015-08-21 at 10.36.36 AM

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *