The Monterey Water Supply Project is a public-private partnership that will bring a multi-water source solution to the Peninsula’s water supply crisis. It will bring us into compliance with the state’s cease-and-desist order and avoids drastic cuts to our water supply that could financially devastate our community. 

Our three-pronged approach:

  • Desalination – utilizes slant-well technology that virtually eliminates harm to sea life.

  • Water Recycling – will convert wastewater from treatment facilities to portable water.

  • Aquifer Storage and Recovery – will collect excess, winter flows from the Carmel River to be stored and used during the dry season.

Public ownership, lower rates

Both the water recycling and ASR components will be publicly owned and partly operated. In addition, the entire project will be paid for using a combination of public and private funding that includes grants and low-interest public financing to ensure the best deal for ratepayers.

Protecting the environment 

The use of slant wells and other sustainable innovations within the project has garnered support from prominent environmental groups like the Sierra Club and the Surfrider Foundation. It is also the preferred approach by the California Coastal Commission and other important permitting agencies.

To learn more about this project, please visit its website: www.watersupplyproject.org