Water Desalination Grant Program Continuous Application Process Group 6 (CAP6)

Purpose

The objective of the Water Desalination Grant Program is to provide grant funds to eligible applicants to facilitate, where appropriate, the development of brackish water and seawater desalination projects to meet the water resources needs of the state. The focus of the Program is on the development of potable water for municipal uses.

Description

One Construction or Design Pilot Project will be awarded a grant to desalinate naturally-occurring brackish (>1,000 mg/L TDS) or saline water to directly support local or regional potable municipal water resources and directly or indirectly provide water supply benefits to the State. A total of $1,000,000 of Proposition 1 funds are available. In addition to other benefits, proposed projects will be evaluated on the following: Increased potable water supply to increase public health and the quality of municipal water supply systems (CWC §79767(c)) Increased water supply reliability (CWC §79767(a)) Improved water desalination technology, process efficiencies, and methodologies (CWC §79767(e) & §12947(c)) Advanced methods that minimize adverse impacts to the environment associated with desalination processes and new water supplies which decrease reliance on diversions from the Delta or instream flows (CWC §79767(b) & §12946) Contribute to decreasing environmental impacts caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which includes energy efficiencies (i.e., water-energy nexus) (CWC §79767(b) & §12946). Projects must have a completed feasibility study showing evaluated alternatives, appropriate CEQA documentation to support the project, and be ready to be implemented within 6 months of project award.