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The City of Santa Cruz initiated the Pilot Test Program in November 2005 which included the design and construction of a small-scale Reverse Osmosis Desalination Pilot Plant.
The Pilot Test Program will operate for a minimum of twelve months and is scheduled to begin testing in January 2008. The pilot plant facility will consist of:
- Source seawater from the existing Long Marine Laboratory seawater intake
- 2,400 square-foot temporary building
- Custom fabricated pilot-scale treatment units treating up to 50 gallons per minute (gpm)
The pilot program is required by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to gather information provide detailed testing in order to permit a Full-scale Desalination Plant to be for establishing optimal design and operating parameters for implementation of any full-scale desalination plant. Project Level environmental review of a full-scale plant will begin when the pilot project is complete. The Department of Water Resources is providing supplemental funding for the study through a Proposition 50 grant.
The pilot program will:
- Demonstrate the best desalination technology
- Test any special treatment needs
- Provide water quality data for regulatory approval and permitting
- Include water quality monitoring at two locations:
- at the pilot plant source water, and
- at the proposed intake location for the potential future full-scale seawater desalination plant
at Long Marine Lab
