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Poseidon’s Carlsbad desalination plant undergoes tests as H.B. plan waits in the wings

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While Poseidon Water’s proposal to build an ocean desalination plant in Huntington Beach may be nearing final approval, the developer’s new facility in Carlsbad is about ready to provide San Diego County with potable water.

On Nov. 9, the $1-billion Carlsbad project embarked on a 30-day test period per an agreement with the San Diego County Water Authority to prove to the agency that the plant, which is expected to produce 54 million gallons of drinkable water per day, can function properly.

“We’re about halfway through that period right now,” Poseidon Vice President Scott Maloni said Tuesday. “We’ve just produced our billionth gallon of water and meeting all of our contractual obligations.”

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If the plant runs flawlessly during the 30 days, it should be in commercial operation by mid-December, Maloni said. The San Diego County water district is expected to pay $2,014 to $2,256 per acre-foot of water from Poseidon during its 30-year deal.

The desalinated water is expected to supply San Diego County with 7% of its water supply.

The Carlsbad plant plays a significant role in Poseidon’s attempts to sell desalinated water from its proposed Huntington Beach facility, which would be built next to the AES power plant at Newland Street and Pacific Coast Highway.

In May, the board of the Orange County Water District approved a non-binding term sheet with Poseidon to negotiate the price of water from the plant and to determine who would be responsible for various aspects of the project.

Maloni said he expects the Orange County district to negotiate a 50-year deal with Poseidon should the project be approved by the California Coastal Commission sometime in the spring.

A key part of the term sheet is that Poseidon must prove to the Orange County district that the Carlsbad plant can operate without a hitch for 90 consecutive days.

“We’re probably a year away from executing a final water purchase agreement [with the Orange County Water District],” Maloni said. “Carlsbad would be in operation for a good amount of time.”

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