Environmental Review Process
Overview
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Why is Desalination Being Studied in an EIR?
The State of California is facing a water shortage crisis. In our growing coastal community, conservation alone will not prepare us to respond to drought, long-term needs, or overdrafted groundwater basins. The City of Santa Cruz (City) and Soquel Creek Water District (District) have both been evaluating options for more than 20 years. After exhaustive consideration of more than thirty different water supply projects, the two agencies both identified seawater desalination as the best option. Desalinated water, in conjunction with conservation, would provide a reliable and flexible water supply to meet long-term needs while providing for public health and safety.
Before any final decisions are made, the City
of Santa Cruz and Soquel Creek
Water District (scwd2) Regional Seawater Desalination Project will
undergo a thorough environmental review in compliance with the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The next step is to
study the proposed project in an Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).