California Public Utilities Commission Approves Monterey Expansion

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved the Water Purchase Agreement between Monterey One Water, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District and California American Water to fund the expansion of the Pure Water Monterey project. While California American Water continues to support the Expansion project, the company will seek a rehearing of the decision on limited issues related to funding of the project and will seek to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.

“Our commitment to the Pure Water Monterey Expansion project is unequivocal and our concerns are clear,” said Kevin Tilden, president of California American Water. “We fully support the expansion project and adding the project’s additional recycled water to bolster the region’s water supplies. But we need the necessary funding to support the wells, pipelines and pumps necessary to deliver the expansion project’s additional supplies to our customers on the Monterey Peninsula.”

Recognizing that the different components of the water supply project are interrelated, the company reduced the size of the desalination plant in light of the expected additional water supplies from the Pure Water Monterey Expansion.

California American Water has supported efforts to diversify the area’s water supply and relieve the over-drafted Carmel River Aquifer for many years. The three components of the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project are aquifer storage and recovery, Pure Water Monterey recycled water and a desalination plant that together with other smaller projects will bring drought-proof and environmentally sustainable water supplies to the Monterey Peninsula.