Community Editorial: Poseidon Desalination Numbers Don’t Add Up
By DEBBIE COOK, Voice of OC
Orange County elected officials love to brag about their fiscal thrift and frequently criticize government subsidies. I wonder how they will feel about subsidizing Huntington Beach for the 30 year term of the Poseidon desalination project.
There is a little-known fact behind Poseidon’s boutique water project in Huntington Beach. In order to sweeten the deal for project approval, Poseidon offered the city a discount of 5% below Metropolitan Water District (MWD) imported water rates on up to 3 million gallons of water per day (3,360 acre-feet per year). For this minor savings to the city, it may cost the other participants upwards of $100 million over the life of the contract. Continue reading