Water from Diablo Canyon desalination facility to help county fight wildfires
Agreement reached to provide water for emergency uses
Limited water supplies as a result of four years of drought have led to a water-sharing agreement between Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) Diablo Canyon Power Plant and San Luis Obispo County.
In a plan unanimously approved this week by the County Board of Supervisors, the plant will soon begin providing desalinated water produced at the plant site to the Office of Emergency Services to reduce the impact of using local water supplies to fight wildfires.
“The ongoing drought is only going to further intensify wildfire risk in our county, leading to the tapping of critical local water supplies to fight fires. At the same time, dry conditions brought on by the drought are already reducing the amount of water that is available to meet community needs and services. Using water from Diablo Canyon’s desalination facility is a terrific solution to bridge this gap and to help meet an important community need,” said Ed Halpin, senior vice president and chief nuclear officer at PG&E.
Diablo’s desalination facility is one of the largest of its kind in the California. Using a process to remove salt from ocean water, the system produces fresh water to support plant operations and meet the drinking needs for plant employees.
The facility is able to desalinate water at a rate of more than 450 gallons per minute and is currently operating at 40 percent capacity to meet plant needs. PG&E is permitted by the state to produce nearly 1.5 million gallons of fresh water on a daily basis.
Through the five-year agreement, the plant will provide excess water to the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services, who will determine how to transport the water to needed areas.
At today’s meeting, the board also directed staff to work with PG&E on a feasibility study on what steps would be involved to connect Diablo’s desalination facility to existing water infrastructure.
“We live and work in this county, too, and ensuring its safety and well-being is our highest priority. We look forward to continue working with the county in identifying ways to provide further support during this ongoing water crisis,” said PG&E representative Ed Halpin.
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