California approves $140M desalination plant in orange county, setting precedent for smaller desalination plants

California regulators from the Coastal Commission reviewed and unanimously approved a $140 million desalination plant on Thursday, offering a guideline for how the state can convert ocean water into drinking water amid the worst drought in 1,200 years.

Just five months ago, the same Coastal Commission had unanimously rejected a much larger and privately owned plant, citing environmental concerns. But the South Coast Water District's proposed Doheny Ocean Desalination Project, at one-tenth the size, won approval by the same 11-0 vote. The plan, expected to produce 5 million gallons of drinking water per day, enough for some 40,000 people, will serve a small water utility in Orange County, just south of Los Angeles.

This approval sets precedent for other smaller-scale desalination plants in California, especially in regions that are faced with critical water shortages, such as the Marina-Monterey-Carmel region. 

​Read more on the issue from Reuters by clicking this link.