Carlsbad desalination plant
The site of the Carlsbad Desalination Plant is between the lagoon and the Encina Power Station. This view is looking from north to south, prior to construction of the desalination plant
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 Location within San Diego County
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| Location | Encina Power Station, Carlsbad, California |
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| Coordinates | 33°08′11″N 117°20′13″W / 33.13639°N 117.33694°WCoordinates: 33°08′11″N 117°20′13″W / 33.13639°N 117.33694°W |
| Estimated output | 50 million US gallons (190,000 m3) per day (190 megalitres) |
| Cost | US$1,000,000,000 |
| Technology | Reverse osmosis |
| Percent of water supply | Estimated 7% of San Diego County |
| Website | Official website (see Project website note under External links) |
The Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant is a desalination plant that opened on December 14, 2015 in Carlsbad, California, adjacent to the north end of the Encina Power Station. The San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA), the recipient of the fresh water produced by the plant, calls it "the nation’s largest, most technologically advanced and energy-efficient seawater desalination plant." The entire desalination project cost about $1 billion for the plant, pipelines, and upgrades to existing SDCWA facilities to use the water.
The idea of a desalination plant in San Diego County, California began in 1993 after five years of drought. Membrane technology used in the plant was pioneered by General Atomics in La Jolla.Environmentalists opposed the construction due to various concerns, most notably energy consumption, brine discharge and that the ocean water intake could kill fish. Five lawsuits were brought against the plant, including by Surfrider Foundation, San Diego Coastkeeper, and the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation, but none were successful.
The plant construction started in December 2012, and was originally scheduled to be completed in 2016. However, due to the continuing drought in California, plant completion was advanced to late 2015. The plant began regular operations in December 2015. When it opened it was named after former Carlsbad mayor, who held the position for almost a quarter of a century, Claude "Bud" Lewis; Lewis had died in 2014, and was a supporter of the construction of the desalination plant. After completion, it underwent six months of testing before being put online.
The fresh water output from the plant is sent by a 10-mile (16 km) long, 4.5-foot (1.4 m) diameter pipeline, utilizing six pumps, to connect to the SDCWA distribution system in San Marcos. Pipeline construction began in 2013, and was completed June 28, 2015.
Poseidon Water built the plant. The main engineering companies on this project were GHD Group and U.S.-based Butier Engineering Inc. IDE Americas Inc., a subsidiary of Israel-based IDE Technologies, designed the plant. IDE Technologies is jointly owned by Delek Group and Israel Chemicals. Simon Wong Engineering was subcontracted to provide the design and structural engineering services. J.F. Shea Company and Kiewit Corporation constructed the plant.
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