Protect Marina Water: CalAm’s Proposed Desalination Project

Research by experts at Stanford University shows that the desalination project would tap into freshwater sources. Those groundwater supplies must be responsibly managed under new requirements of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Furthermore, as the water is pumped from the targeted aquifers, it will lead to increased seawater intrusion and loss of groundwater storage, and it causes contamination of the regional groundwater supply.

CalAm’s application to the CPUC was based on outdated water demand information as of 2016. Now that eight more full years (2017-2024) of actual water usage is available, it has become evident that water demand in CalAm’s Monterey District has decreased over time by about 5,000 acre feet per year and currently is only about 9,000 afy. Multiple experts have confirmed that true water demand is much lower than CalAm’s historic projections and found that the Pure Water Monterey Expansion project, along with other existing sources, will meet all future water demand for the Monterey Peninsula until about 2050.

CalAm’s desalination project creates several serious environmental justice issues. The project threatens Marina’s beautiful coastline by adding a major industrial facility on its dunes and beaches. It would damage vital open space, natural and wildlife habitats and would limit access to the new beachfront property after the CEMEX sand mining plant closes. Additionally, the project would bring industrial development to an area that should be protected for coastal habitat and public access.

In 1996, the City of Marina entered into a legally binding agreement regarding annexation of the CEMEX property where Cal Am wants to locate the source wells for this project, and the agreement included very specific provisions limiting groundwater extractions. It was intended to reduce seawater intrusion and protect the groundwater resources in the Salinas River Groundwater Basin. It stated that groundwater extractions at the CEMEX property users were limited to extraction of 500 AFY of groundwater – and it also prohibited exporting any of the extracted groundwater to users outside the Basin. Cal Am’s planned exploitation of the CEMEX property groundwater directly violates both the limitations on groundwater extraction, and the absolute prohibition on exporting extracted groundwater to users outside the Basin.

The Pure Water Monterey Expansion Project, which has now been approved by the CPUC, is under construction and is expected to be online by early 2026, presents a reasonable and sufficient alternative option to supply the long-term water needs of the Monterey Peninsula – at much less cost and with significantly less environmental harm.