Water Desalination Information

For more than 50 years, IRWD has made water supply reliability a top priority through the implementation of water efficient practices and programs and the development of cost effective alternative water supply resources.

In Orange county, locally desalinated water from brackish and ocean water sources continue to be evaluated as potential alternative water supplies. The desalination process converts water with high salts and mineral concentrations into drinking water or water for irrigation purposes. Water agencies that benefit from these potential regional desalination projects would be responsible for project funding.

Policy Paper on Desalination Projects

In November of 2014, the Irvine Ranch Water District Board of Directors adopted a policy reaffirming their support of cost effective regional desalination projects when the costs for treatment and distribution are competitive with existing reliable water supplies. Please click here to read the full policy.

Other IRWD Documents

IRWD Comment Letter to Chairman of Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board that Regional Board staff refused to deliver – July 24, 2020: view

IRWD's Presentation to Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board regarding IRWD Investigations of Water Quality Impacts of Proposed Huntington Beach Seawater Desalination Project - December 6, 2019: view

Letter to Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board with Attachment A regarding draft NPDES permit renewal for Proposed Seawater Desalination Project at Huntington Beach - December 4, 2019: view

• Replacement Page 23 to Attachment A of Letter to Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board with Attachment A - December 5, 2019: view 
• Appendix A to Letter to Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board - November 27, 2019: view
• Appendix B to Letter to Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board - November 18, 2019: view
• Appendix C to Letter to Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board - November 26, 2019: view

Letter to Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board regarding need for the Proposed Seawater Desalination Project at Huntington Beach - June 12, 2019: view

Letter to OCWD regarding Proposed Dialogue with Producer Agencies - July 18, 2018: view 

Letter to OCWD regarding Proposed Term Sheet for Seawater Desalination Project at Huntington Beach - June 6, 2018: view

Voice of OC guest column by General Manager Paul Cook "Finding the Right Water Solutions for Orange County" - June 5, 2018

Orange County Register op-ed by General Manager Paul Cook "Finding the right water fixes for Orange County" - June 3, 2018

Mini-documentary about the Poseidon desalination plant: General Manager Paul Cook appears in a new video, “The Problem with Poseidon,” produced by Orange County Coastkeeper and released on CaliforniaDesalFacts.org and YouTube -- May 31, 2018.

IRWD comment letter on Agenda Item 97 - AES Huntington Beach LLC and Poseidon Resources (Surfside) LLC (Co-Lessees): Certification of SEIR and Lease Amendment - October 13, 2017:  view 

IRWD comment letter to the State Lands Commission on the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for the Seawater Desalination Project at Huntington Beach: Outfall/Intake Modifications and General Lease - Industrial Use (PRC 1980.1) Amendment - July 27, 2017:  view 

Presentation on Preliminary Analysist of Impacts of Desalinated Seawater Use to IRWD's Recycled Water - March 8, 2016:  view

Letter to MWDOC Regarding MWDOC's Proposed Joint Resolution with OCWD for Proposed Seawater Desalination Project at Huntington Beach - December 29, 2016: view

• MWDOC Staff Report (Referenced in above letter) Regarding Proposed Seawater Desalination Project at Huntington Beach - July 7, 2015: view

Letter to OCWD Regarding IRWD Infrastructure and Proposed Seawater Desalination Project at Huntington Beach - November 23, 2016:  view

Letter to OCWD Regarding Methods to Restore Groundwater Levels in Orange County Basin - August 10, 2016:  view 

Letter to OCWD Regarding Proposed Poseidon Resources Hungtington Beach Seawater Desalination Project Distribution Options - July 6, 2016: view

Letter to OCWD Recommending Annual Budgeting for the Purchase of Imported Water - March 8, 2016: view

Letter to OCWD Regarding Distribution Options for Water from Proposed Seawater Desalination Project - March 2, 2106: view

Letter to OCWD Addressing Water Quality Impacts Associated with Distribution of Water from Proposed Huntington Beach Seawater Desalination Project - February 3, 2016: view

Letter to OCWD Supporting the Consideration of Alternatives to Proposed Huntington Beach Seawater Desalination Project - September 2, 2015:   view

Briefing Paper Comparing the Proposed Huntington Beach Seawater Desalination Project to the Alternative of Optimizing the Use of the Orange County Groundwater Basin - August 26, 2015: view 

Letter to OCWD Supporting the Evaluation of Alternatives to Proposed Seawater Desalination Project at Huntington Beach - May 14, 2015:  view 

Letter to OCWD Relative to Next Steps in Evaluation of Proposed Seawater Desalination Project at Huntington Beach - March 18, 2015:  view 

Comments on  Clean Energy Capital's "Financial Analysis of Proposed Huntington Beach Ocean Water Desalination Project" Prepared for OCWD - November 21, 2014:  view 

Letter to OCWD Regarding Proposed Schedule for Huntington Beach Seawater Desalination Project - November 19, 2014: view

Letter of Intent to Poseiden Resources LLC - April 25, 2013: view

OCWD Documents

Term Sheet Water Reliability Agreement for Huntington Beach Seawater Desalination Project Between Orange County Water District and Poseidon Resources - May 2015: view 

Attachment A to Term Sheet Water Reliablity Agreement for Huntington Beach Seawater Desalination Project Between Orange County Water District and Poseidon Resources - May 2015: view 

Trussell Technologies Technical Memorandum titled "Review of Proposed Water Quality Requirements for the Huntington Beach Desalter" that was prepared for OCWD that includes the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California report that was prepared by ARCADIS titled "Assessment of Existing Seawater Desalination Integration Practices, March 2012": view 

Minutes, meeting agenda, OCWD staff report, presentation and IRWD letter from OCWD's July 6 2016 Board Meeting where the Board Approved Moving Forward with Option 6 which includes Recharging Desalinated Seawater: view 

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