Located in San Diego County, CA, at the Encina Power Station, The Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant is the largest salt water desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere and provides 50 million gallons of desalinated seawater per day.​
The Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant is a 50 million gallon per day (56,000 acre-feet per year (AFY)) seawater desalination plant located adjacent to the Encina Power Station in Carlsbad, California. Desalination has evolved into a desirable water supply alternative by tapping the largest reservoir in the world - the Pacific Ocean. The technology, available for decades, is at work in many arid areas of the world including the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. A 30-year Water Purchase Agreement is in place between the San Diego County Water Authority and Poseidon Water for the entire output of the plant. The plant has been delivering water to the businesses and residents of San Diego County since December 2015.
Benefits
  • Provides high quality drinking water that complements existing water supplies.
  • The only water supply in San Diego County that is not dependent on snowpack and rainfall.
  • The first water infrastructure project in California to have a net carbon of zero.
  • Restores, maintains and enhances public access and recreation in the marine environment through the dedication of more than 15 acres of lagoon and ocean front land for public purposes in Carlsbad and restore 66 acres of wetlands in South San Diego Bay.
Need
  • The plant provides 56,000 AFY of new water supply for the San Diego region. 
  • The CA Department of Water Resources’ 2009 Water Plan Update identifies the need for 275,000 AF of desalinated water by 2025.
  • The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s Integrated Water Resources Plan identifies a need for 150,000 AFY of seawater desalination (including 56,000 AFY from the Carlsbad project) by the year 2020.
Accomplishments
  • Providing a local source of potable water to supplement imported water supplies.
  • Improving Southern California water supply reliability.
  • Improving overall water quality.
  • Complementing local and regional water conservation and water recycling programs.

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Accolades
Desalination Deal of the Year for Carlsbad Desalination Plant - Global Water Intelligence
North American Infrastructure Deal of the Year​ - Investor Magazine
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Come for a Visit
We invite you to visit the largest, most technically advanced and environmentally sound desalination plant in the western hemisphere! You will have the opportunity to observe the state of the art process of turning water from the Pacific Ocean into high quality drinking water that is now serving nearly a half a million San Diegans. You will also be one of the first individuals to sample this new water supply right from source. Learn more and sign up at www.carlsbaddesal.com/visit.

Visit the Carlsbad Desal Plant Website

View project details, photos, videos, tour sign-ups and much more at www.carlsbaddesal.com.