캘리포니아 공공 유틸리티 위원회(California Public Utilities Commission, CPUC)는 최근 발표한 Monterey 반도의 물 프로젝트에 대한 환경 영향 보고서 초안에서 담수화 프로젝트와 관련된 가뭄 문제에 대한 해결 가능성을 자세하게 조사해 평가했다.

캘리포니아 아메리칸 워터의 회장 Rob MacLean는 “CPUC의 환경 평가는 Monterey의 물위기를 해결하기 위한 당사의 접근 방식을 지원하는 것이며, 이를 기쁘게 생각한다”고 밝혔다.

 

 

 

The California Public Utilities Commission's recently published draft environmental impact report on the Monterey Peninsula Water Project and has rated the desalination project as the environmentally preferred of a number of options scrutinised as possible solutions to the region's drought problems. 

 

"We are pleased to see the CPUC's draft environmental review supports our approach to solving the Peninsula's water crisis," California American Water President Rob MacLean said.

 

The 1,700 page report took three years to complete. It includes studies of the environmental impacts of two proposed plans, one involving a 50 Ml/d desalination plant and another producing 32 Ml/d.

 

The Monterey peninsula is looking to replace the water that California has ruled as being taken illegally by Cal Am from the Carmel River. Cal Am and must cease drawing water form the river by 2017.

 

The draft report included an evaluation of a proposed 150 m long slant well that would extract salt water from the Monterey Bay.

 

It probed also the pretreatment, reverse osmosis, post treatment, and brine discharge all proposed for the area.

 

The report's chief criticism was of the greenhouse gas emissions from the plant, as well the noise, and traffic it would generate.

 

The discharging of brine into the Monterey Bay was a cause for concern. But the predicts that the way the brine would be discharged would not have significant impact on the water quality of the Monterey Bay.

 

The publication of the report marks the beginning of a 60-day public consultation. A final report will be published in October.

 

If everything goes smoothly for the desalination plant construction could begin as early as February of 2016.

 

[출처 = Desalination & Water Reuse / 2015년 5월 6일]