Latino Board Votes for Poseidon Desalination Plants
Poseidon Resources announced Feb. 25 that the California Latino Water Coalition Board of Directors has voted to endorse the development of Poseidon's seawater desalination plants in Carlsbad and Huntington Beach.
Poseidon's Carlsbad and Huntington Beach desalination facilities will each be capable of producing 50 million gallons per day, enough high-quality drinking water for 300,000 Californians annually.
The coalition is a statewide group of prominent Latino leaders who support the development of a comprehensive water infrastructure plan and additional water resources for California through public education, outreach, and advocacy. Members of the executive board include well-known comedian and actor Paul Rodriguez; Mayor Victor Lopez, City of Orange Cove; Ruben Guerra, chair and chief executive officer of the Latin Business Association; and Tony Estremera, director of Santa Clara Valley Water District.
"We welcome the California Latino Water Coalition's endorsement of our desalination projects in San Diego and Orange counties. Like many of our supporters, the CLWC recognizes that seawater desalination must be a critical component of the state's water supply," said Poseidon Resources Vice President Scott Maloni.
"Water is a critical and defining issue for all Californians. Poseidon Resources' desalination plant is one of the life support systems that California is going to need in order for us to meet the needs of the future," said Paul Rodriguez. "Our state is going to need these plants, and I'm proud to announce that the California Latino Water Coalition has endorsed the Carlsbad Desalination Project."
Poseidon is building a 50-million-gallon-per-day (56,000 acre-feet annually) desalination plant at the site of the Encina Power Station in Carlsbad. Construction of the proposed $300 million desalination project is scheduled to start this summer and will be operational in 2011. Construction of Poseidon's Huntington Beach Desalination Plant is scheduled to begin in 2010 and the plant will be operational in 2012.