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PROPOSED NEW MONTEREY COUNTY DESALINATION PLANS

JOINT MANAGEMENT PLAN REVIEW

Monterey Bay Issue Name: Water Quality & Desalination

Desalination is the process by which salts and other chemicals are removed from salt or brackish water. It is also known as Desalinization or Desalting or commonly referred to as "desal." As traditional sources of fresh water continue to be depleted and degraded, society is increasingly looking toward desalination as an option for obtaining water for both private, and municipal freshwater supply. In the past it has not been used extensively, primarily because the cost of the product water has been so much higher than that from conventional sources. With more efficient desalting technologies being able to produce the water cheaper, in conjunction with escalating costs of obtaining fresh water from conventional sources, desalination is starting to look more and more attractive as an option to many proponents.