Santa Barbara to Invest $55m to Revive Desalination Facility

Santa Barbara City Council has unanimously given consent for an investment of $55 million to revive the Charles E Meyer desalination facility in California. The plant, which was constructed during a drought in the 1990s, had not been used beyond a testing period. Once operational, the facility will have a capacity to deliver one third of the city’s potable water supplies. Out of the allotted $55m, $46.6m has been set aside for design and construction of the facility and the remaining funding is expected to be spent over legal and consulting charges to be required during the permitting process.