Public Hearings to Be Held on Regional Desalination Project

PACIFIC GROVE, Calif., June 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Public Utilities Commission will hold Public Participation Hearings providing members of the public an opportunity to present comments related to the Monterey Bay Regional Water Project proposed by California American Water, Marina Coast Water District and the Monterey County Water Resources Agency. The hearings will be held:

The Monterey Bay Regional Water Project is designed to replace the majority of California American Water's current diversions from the Carmel River. The project consists of a 10-million-gallon-per-day desalination facility located in North Marina that would be owned by Marina Coast Water District. The plant will draw from wells that will be owned by the Monterey County Water Resources Agency. The brine will be discharged through the existing outfall belonging to Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency. California American Water will purchase water from the project and will build and own a 10-mile pipeline to deliver water from Marina to its Monterey Peninsula service territory. California American Water will also own the Aquifer, Storage and Recovery (ASR) component of the project and a 6 million gallon storage facility. The cost range estimated for the desalination facility, wells, pipeline, ASR and storage components is between $280 and $390 million.

The public participation hearings are being held as part of the California Public Utilities Commission's process to review and consider the Monterey Bay Regional Water Project.  The Commission is expected to make a decision on California American Water's request for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) in November of this year.

California American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), provides high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 600,000 people.  

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company.  With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 16 million people in 35 states, as well as Ontario and Manitoba, Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.

SOURCE California American Water