Our community has a complex water supply problem. It includes the
overdraft of freshwater aquifers, the likelihood of severe droughts
brought about by global climate change, and the probability that
regulators will reduce our water supply from surface streams to
protect endangered fish species. We must continue to evaluate the
threats and risks to our environment, our households and our local
economy—and evaluate potential remedies to our water supply
problems.
Critics question whether or not our community should build a
desalination plant to meet our water needs. These critics typically
identify a number of important issues we need to examine as
desalination is considered … and then jump to the conclusion that
desalination should be rejected before the evaluations are
completed. Yet by arguing for rejection of desal they are
essentially saying that we should “shelve” the project before
allowing the community to consider the latest information and the
potential for desalination to meet our water supply challenges.
The scwd2 Task Force, formed by the
Santa Cruz City Council and the board of the Soquel Creek Water
District, is working diligently to examine a variety of issues
related to the proposed desalination plant, including energy usage;
the cost to ratepayers; the impacts to the marine environment; the
quality of desalinated water; and the overall question of whether or
not desalination is the best approach. A full Environmental Impact
Report is currently evaluating many of these issues, and this
report, along with public comments, will assist the entire community
in understanding them.
Opponents find it politically useful to claim that specific
alternatives should be looked at before a full environmental review
of desal is completed—ignoring the fact that elected representatives
and citizens that volunteer on local commissions thoroughly examined
and considered many alternatives. Those citizens sat through dozens
of public meetings with countless hours of public testimony to
decide that desalination was a reasonable and necessary approach to
explore. No one we know believes desalination alone is a panacea for
our water supply problems – rather it could serve as a safety net in
our water supply portfolio. Our Integrated Water Plans identified
desalination as part of a careful process of exploring new water
sources while moving ahead with vigorous conservation measures and
preparations for significant restrictions during drought periods.
We believe the community is better served if we stick
with a thorough examination of all the facts and issues
revealed though a rigorous environmental review process and
then make an informed decision.
Respectfully,
Don Lane, Vice Mayor of Santa Cruz
Dan Kriege, Board Member, Soquel Creek Water
District
Both serve as members of the
scwd2
Task Force.
