Superficial Page One St. Augustine Record Story on Energy-Wasting SJRWMD Desalination Plant Project Being Placed on "Hold

Seawater plant in Flagler postponed
Officials waiting for economy to turn around
Posted: August 19, 2011 - 12:02am
By SHELDON GARDNER
sheldon.gardner@staugustine.com

Plans to build a multi-million-dollar seawater desalination plant in Flagler County are being put on hold for a couple of years, project officials said in a public meeting on Wednesday.

"We're going to take a little time to let the economy recover," said Scott Shannon, associate vice president of Malcolm Pirnie, the lead consulting firm for the Coquina Coast seawater desalination project.

Local governments and the St. Johns River Water Management District have been funding the project, which could become an alternative water source for the area.

St. Johns County and other areas in the region largely depend on fresh groundwater withdrawals for water, but that is not sustainable, according to project officials.

Areas involved with the project will need around 10million to 15 million gallons of new drinking water per day by 2020, officials said. The proposed seawater desalination plant could fill that gap if the project moves forward as scheduled. The plant will likely be built to expand so that it might produce 25 million to 50 million gallons of water per day by 2050.

The seawater desalination project is ending the first part of its second phase, which found 14 potential areas for a future desalination plant in Flagler County, Shannon said.

The plant's size, location and exact cost won't be known for a few years, according to project officials. However, a plant that produces 10 million to 15 million gallons of water per day could cost between $190 million and $260 million.

St. Johns County began as a full partner in the project but is now an ex officio member.

That means the county is still part of the process but doesn't have as much steering power.

"We think it's the wise thing to do," said Bill Young, St. Johns County utilities director. "We are in no position of urgency where this is a make or break project."

St. Johns County is about eight years into a 20-year permit from the Water Management District that allocates 16 million gallons of water per day to the county's service areas, Young said.

Project officials along with Young said delaying the project will allow for better estimates of population growth, which will help determine the future water needs of local governments and the size of the desalination plant.

"With time the technology gets better...," Young said about the seawater desalination process. "That's why we're comfortable with tabling this thing."

To learn more about the project, visit www.coquinacoastdesal.org. or www.Twitter.com/CoquinaDesal.