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Great Poseidon image that the OC Weekly has let us use thus far…
As the 5pm OCWD meeting nears, and you-all consider what to say, we share a few comments from folks who have been fighting this boondoggle a LONG TIME … care of the Surf City Voice! First, by way of explanation:
Poseidon Resources Inc. and the Orange County Water District’s Desalination Funding Ad hoc Committee have negotiated a proposed revised term sheet that if passed by the Board at its meeting June 6, 2018, would serve as a blueprint for a future full contract to build and run a $1 billion ocean desalination plant in Huntington Beach.
Related stories: http://www.surfcityvoice.com/2018/06/orange-county-water-district-desal-developers-exclusive-involvement-in-hidden-committee-meetings-explained/and http://www.surfcityvoice.com/2018/06/orange-county-water-districts-poseidon-obsession-spurious-ad-hoc-committee-pushes-billion-dollar-desal-project/
Dave Hamilton
Analyst, Residents for Responsible Desalination
Ratepayers Will Pay $1.3 Billion more for Poseidon Desal Water than Imported Water.
I refer you to page 81 of 207 of the meeting agenda, and more particularly beginning at page 83 of 207 below the rubric “The 2018 Term Sheet”.The table on page 85 of 207 is more important to take in and understand. What, why, and how the “Unit Cost” number “$1,916/af” was derived is poorly defined and probably an optimistic, best-case estimate. However, the “Difference” number “$536/af” is staggering in its implications. Extrapolating that number for 56,000 AF over 15 years of MWD subsidies and 15 years without subsidy, we, the ratepayers, would be paying a minimum of $1.3-Billion more for Poseidon desal water than MWD imported water.
Conner Everts
Facilitator for Environmental Water Caucus, Executive Director for Southern California Watershed Alliance
OWCD Puts Cart-Poseidon in Front of the Horse. False Need for Water Without Buyers and Huge Mistake.
The only reason that Poseidon and the San Diego County Water Authority signed a 30-year take or pay contract was we were in the midst of a drought and because the San Diego County Water Authority did not have groundwater supplies to recharge with advanced treated recycled water. OCWD has not only a world-class groundwater replenishment system but is expanding that program to continue to maintain our groundwater supplies.
By putting the cart-Poseidon, a private company, in front of the horse, OCWD would be making a huge mistake, before there are confirmed retail purchasers for the water and therefore showing a false need. Without knowing the costs to individual cities and water agencies OCWD will have the same problems SDCWA does with angry customers who have escalating water rates and reduced demand.
New state water conservation bills signed last week will provide a future with less water needed, not more and listen to OCWD constituents on this one, this water is unneeded and unwanted and it is not OCWD’s job to make Poseidon whole.
Merle Moshiri
President, Residents for Responsible Desalination
OCWD and Poseidon are Ignoring Alternatives to Seawater Desalination
It would appear that once again, OCWD and Poseidon, are trying to ignore R4RD’s repeated request for a study into the alternatives of seawater desalination. Their collective collaboration on a new Term Sheet (minus ANY input from their citizen’s advisory committee) will see to it that the ratepayers pay for this very expensive water, and here is the kicker…..whether we NEED it or not! By their own statistics, they have NEVER seriously concluded that this water is needed much less that desalination is the answer. We in Orange County enjoy the flexibility of looking at less expensive alternatives, i.e. groundwater storage, recycling, and conservation. NONE of the feasible alternatives have been studied and then cost compared to desalination!
It’s outrageous.
As ratepayers, we need to demand this be done before we even THINK about paying a Canadian hedge fund billions of dollars MORE (approximately $1.2 Billion) over and above what our current water provider, MWD, would be paid for the same amount of water. Profit is profit, but this is a disgrace that smacks of cronyism, greed, and ineptness on the part of the voting majority of the Board and Staff of the OCWD.
Don’t let it happen.
Raymond Hiemstra
Associate Director of Programs, OC Coastkeeper
Violations and Toxic Discharge at Poseidon’s Carlsbad Desalination Plant
As a local resident and environmental advocate, I am concerned about the potential for Poseidon’s desalination plant to discharge toxic brine into the ocean in Huntington Beach.
I recently got a copy of the Poseidon Carlsbad 2017 annual report and it is appalling how many times they have violated their NPDES permit. Their 2010 NPDES permit states that exceedances of the toxicity standard are enforceable; in 2017 they reported 36 violations of the toxicity standard, 11 deficient monitoring violations and 2 reporting violations. In total, the average toxicity concentration for 7 of 12 months in 2017 was above the standard. So far in 2018 they have had 11 toxicity violations. They have also conducted a TIE (attached) and are unable to identify the toxin so far. It is unknown if the toxins being produced can bioaccumulate or impact the marine environment over the long term. The San Diego Regional Water Board rightfully should shut down the Carlsbad Plant until this situation is corrected.
The consistency of these violations and the inability to identify the toxin(s) they are producing is directly tied to the Poseidon Huntington Beach project. They will be using the same process to desalinate water, and producing the same toxins. The difference is that the brine will not be diluted before discharge to the ocean, so we must assume that the brine discharged from the Poseidon Huntington Beach diffuser will be toxic. This has not been discussed in any document related to the project. OCWD and the state Regulatory Agencies should not go forward with any aspect of the project until we can be assured that the plant will not discharge toxic brine to the ocean in Huntington Beach.
Related documents:
- NPDES pg 12 and 2017 annual report
- Carlsbad NPDES Monthly DMR Cover Letter – Feb 2018
- Carlsbad NPDES Monthly DMR Cover Letter – Jan 2018 (1)
- Carlsbad NPDES Monthly DMR Cover Letter – Mar 2018
- NPDES Annual Summary Report 2017
The meeting is at 5 today (Wednesday June 6), at the OCWD building, 18700 Ward St, Fountain Valley. We will not rest until Poseidon slinks away in shame:
*Just goes to prove that even a broken eight day clock is right twice a day! Congratulations OCWD for making the right choice and adding Desal to our Menu of water choices!
1) You’re oblivious. That didn’t happen. The item was continued.
2) Desalination has no place in OCWD’s supply portfolio. It’s too expensive and provides no additional value over the next seven available alternatives.
You will never find a set of facts that support your insane ramblings on this topic.
*You read your news reports and we will read ours….evidently! Make up whatever you want…..we are sure you have relatives that believe you…we don’t however! Call your buddy Peer Swan and ask him. Or don’t you believe him too?
That’s nonsensical.
They literally didn’t vote on anything other than to continue to item.
The distinction between willful ignorance and insanity isn’t all that material, but one is a choice.
I’m bringing to think you actually don’t have a choice. That’s unfortunate. Good luck.
*Ray Dude – “So far in 2018 they have had 11 toxicity violations. They have also conducted a TIE (attached) and are unable to identify the toxin so far. It is unknown if the toxins being produced can bioaccumulate or impact the marine environment over the long term”.
Let’s see……pollution from Sea Water coming out of the San Onofre Nuclear Plant? Maybe just watershed run-off with fertilizers and Round-up maybe? How about local bird droppings falling from the sky? Look, every open aqueducts and open reservoirs, ground water contamination and brackish backdraft seepage – chemical and sewage outflows can all contribute to problems with any system. As members of the Ocean
Outfall Group some years back…..we can say with impunity…..that these are all typical problems found in any water supply system. The Carlsbad Desal Facility is next to some commercial Power Station Development – supposedly closing down. It is also,
not far downstream from many City of Carlsbad drain-off pipes….for starters! The cool thing is that is does not mention perchlorates, glyptos and the rest of the array of pollution found in OCWD and Irvine Ranch District water supplies!
*Delay the vote till July 17th….really? Thanks Bruce Whitaker….good move….get some more Citizens comments. Cracks us up ….Poche Beach gets an “F” on TV, but the actual report in the Register says: Poche Beach Water Quality “A”, Poche Beach run-off interface: “F”. They have called it “Cancer Creek” for the pass 15 years! Flake News! Anyway, this will allow Poseidon time to answer the Water Quality issues at the Carlsbad Facility….Nice!
OCWD didn’t “add DESAL to the menu of our water choices” This has NEVER been about desal. It is about an inferior company with outdated technology using crony tactics and political bribery to force a very poor deal on residents.
“Adding desal to the menu of our water choices” would have been the OCWD reaching out to amazing companies, having a bidding process, exploring the cost of building the plant ourselves etc. The OCWD did not CHOOSE anything. Poseidon told them what they “needed”.
These snake oil salesmen rolled up saw our antiquated power plant and said we have a great opportunity to make enormous amounts of money here by using this existing 1950’s era tech to do the lamest possible desal plant. Oh, and here’s upwards of $40, 000 to this OCWD board member’s campaign over the years and let’s pay off these city council members. And get on the Chamber of Commerce and form a political PAC etc.
Poseidon does not equal desal. It’s one company that for a decade has failed to prove its worth and viability relying on buying of influence instead.
Why shouldn’t we want and have the best possible deal and technology if we are going to do desal? That’s really un American and anti free market thinking. We should just settle for this only crappy option? Sounds more like when soviet government gives contracts to their buddies and those who are giving political kick backs. This “deal” isn’t a deal for the rate payers. Poseidon are corporate welfare hogs and greedy poor performers forcing a loser deal through with a very rude Scott Maloni as their omnipresent representative.
What is West Orange County Water Board? Posey has stated that he is your representative” there.