Marina Coast Water District is leading the planning and permitting process for an area of water supply facilities known as the Regional Water Project to solve the needs of the Monterey Peninsula and North Monterey County.

The array of projects ranges from a desalination plant near Marina, reclaimed water supply, aquifer storage and recovery to river diversion and reclaimed water injection into the Seaside aquifer. The project uses cutting-edge and environmentally sensitive technology such as vertical wells to draw brackish seawater without impeding fisheries and converting methane gas from the nearby landfill in Marina for energy in operating the project, thus conserving energy and protecting the environment.

The California Public Utilities Commission has expressed support for the Regional Water Project among three alternatives considered in a draft Environmental Impact Report for California American Water Co.’s Coastal Water Project. A final version of the EIR is expected to be released later this month, and the PUC is expected to choose components of the Coastal Water Project in early 2010.

California American Water Co. faces a cease-and-desist order under consideration by the California Water Resources Control Board to reduce pumping from the Carmel River aquifer. That is why planning and implementation of the Regional Water Project has become critical to replace that water supply sustain the lifestyle and economy of Monterey County.

For more information on the components and planning process, visit the Regional Water Project web site.