"After more than a decade of deliberations, the San Diego County Water Authority voted Thursday to buy desalinated water from a $984 million project planned in Carlsbad. Officials hailed it as a historic step on the path to water self-sufficiency for the region."

"The vote, under which authority members’ voting power is proportionate to the amount of water they buy, was 85 percent in favor. Five of the board’s 36 members voted against the deal, with one absent.

The plant, to be built by Poseidon Resources, promises to supply 7 to 10 percent of water needs for the drought-prone San Diego region, adding a small but stable local water supply.

But by turning the Pacific Ocean into a source for drinking water, it also could transform water policy for the semiarid region, officials said."

Deborah Sullivan Brennan reports for the San Diego Union-Tribune November 20, 2012. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Huge Desalination Plant Faces Key Test as San Diego Agency Considers Buying Full Output" (AP) [3]