In 2015, a seawater desalination plant was built at cost of $1 billion . The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant was constructed to produce drinking water from seawater for the San Diego region. The facility opened in December 2015 and now produces about 50 million gallons of drinking water each day. The plant supplies about 10% of San Diego County’s total drinking water demand. It gives the region a water source that does not depend on rainfall or imported water supplies. At the same time, the facility has raised questions about water costs, electricity use, greenhouse gas emissions and effects on marine life. The plant was developed under a long-term agreement between the San Diego County Water Authority and Poseidon Water. The agreement was approved in November 2012 and covers water purchases for 30 years.
