San Diego now has so much water that it’s selling it

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🗞️ Driving the news: San Diego has shifted from chronic water shortages to surplus supply and is now selling water produced from desalination and recycling systems to drought-stricken neighbors including Arizona and Nevada

🔭 The context: The transformation stems from large investments in water diversification by the San Diego County Water Authority, including the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, the largest seawater desalination facility in North America
• The plant converts Pacific Ocean water into drinking water and produces tens of millions of gallons per day, helping the region reduce dependence on the shrinking Colorado River
• Alongside desalination, San Diego has expanded wastewater recycling, sometimes called “pure water”, allowing treated sewage to be reused as drinking water or industrial supply

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: As climate change intensifies droughts across the American West, cities are turning to desalination and advanced water recycling to secure water supplies
• While these technologies increase water resilience and reduce dependence on stressed rivers, they also require significant energy inputs, highlighting the importance of powering such systems with low-carbon electricity

⏭️ What’s next: Negotiations are underway for desert states to access San Diego’s desalinated supply
• The regional water-sharing agreements could reshape water management across the southwestern United States

📈 One stat: The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant produces about 50 million gallons of drinking water per day, supplying roughly 10% of San Diego County’s water demand.

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