May 31, 2023- Update-OMWD Brackish Water Project

 

Updating my post dated March 30, 2022, OMWD held another workshop on its proposed brackish water desalination project.

The San Dieguito Brackish Groundwater Desalination Project is OMWD’s largest potential capital expense. If the Board approved, the project would provide OMWD customers with about 10% of their water supply from a local groundwater source. The remaining 90% would still be purchased from OMWD’s water wholesalers. 

Since last year, due to inflation, the project’s estimated cost has grown by $2M to $54,000,000, not including about $6M already expended for investigations dating to 2008. Consultants have preliminarily calculated a long-term cost benefit to OMWD ratepayers over 30 years based on assumptions of future imported water costs and other factors. It is hoped that outside federal and state grants will cover about ¼ of the project costs. Most of the rest would be financed by long-term municipal bonds. The Board will make a “go-no go” decision on whether to proceed with this complex project in the next 12 months after additional studies are completed. Impact on the ratepayer will be my primary concern.

There are benefits to OMWD having locally sourced water, but there are also substantial economic and legal risks.

Please follow this link to the staff and consultant reports submitted at the recent project workshop: http://www.olivenhain.com/wp-content/uploads/053123.pdf

Public awareness and participation in deciding whether to fund this project are essential.

Posted on 31 May 2023, 20:34 - Category: News