State Standard Assures More Protection for Fish and Marine Life
SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board today renewed a permit governing discharges from the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant into the Pacific Ocean that includes structural and operational changes to provide greater protection for marine life and water quality.

WATER YEAR 2018 WAS THE SECOND-DRIEST ON RECORD IN SAN DIEGO SINCE 1850, with a paltry 3.3inches of rain at the city’s official weather station. The scant total highlights the significance of the San Diegoregion’s multi-billion-dollar investments in water supply reliability to sustain 3.3 million people and the region’s$220 billion economy — investments that include the nation’s largest seawater desalination plant. Situated adjacent to a lagoon in northern San Diego County, the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant marked the third anniversary of commercial operations in December 2018. Download the full article.

Project partners Poseidon Water and the San Diego County Water Authority gathered at the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant to celebrate the delivery of 40 billion gallons of drought-resilient drinking water to San Diego County during three years of commercial operations at the plant. “This pioneering project continues to be a shining example of innovation and a vital resource for the San Diego region,” said Poseidon Water CEO Carlos Riva. Read the full article.

Representatives from San Diego County and Poseidon Water held a celebration on Thursday for the Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant producing its 40 billionth gallon of drinking water. The celebration also correlated with the third anniversary of the plant opening. The Carlsbad plant produces more than 50 million gallons of desalinated water each day and is the largest and most technologically advanced desalination plant in the U.S., according to the county. See the full article.