Doheny Ocean Desalination Project

The Doheny Ocean Desalination Project in Dana Point would create a new, reliable, local, and drought-proof water supply of five million gallons per day for Southern Orange County, a region that is now nearly entirely dependent on imported water supplies. The plant would also provide emergency water supplies should the delivery of imported water be disrupted due to earthquakes or other natural disasters.

South Coast Water District, the project’s lead agency, designed the plant’s water intake system innovatively placed below the ocean floor, allowing it to avoid impacts to ocean life that has hampered the approval of other ocean water recycling plants. This led to the approval of the Doheny plant by the California Coastal Commission.  Construction is expected to begin after final regulatory approvals are received from other state and federal agencies.