By Vic Bianes and Jeremy Crutchfield
Nearly a decade on, the Carlsbad Desalination Plant is a model of success not only for seawater reverse osmosis but also for visionary problem-solving
When the nation’s largest desalination plant opened in Carlsbad, California, in 2015, people across the country were watching to see how it increased water supplies as groundwater dwindled, reservoirs dried up, and drought ravaged the Golden State.
Nearly 10 years later, the plant has demonstrated how seawater desalination can play a pivotal role in achieving water security. Dependent on the Colorado River and State Water Project, California found itself watching water supplies reach dangerously low levels, forcing water agencies statewide to look beyond the usual solutions and tap into new opportunities.
With a near-endless supply of water from the Pacific Ocean, the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination
Plant processes up to 100 million gallons of water per day.
The water is filtered through gravel, sand, and other compounds to reduce particulates before it goes through reverse osmosis (RO) filtration. Approximately half of the saltwater taken into the plant is converted into potable water — enough to supply about 400,000 people daily — while the remaining water is discharged as brine.
The plant’s success has fostered larger discussions about water supply and water management in the era of climate change.
