Rick Longinotti presents his perspective on the proposed desalination facility and the Santa Cruz Water Supply Advisory Committee

1. What do we
do now?
Rick Longinotti
DesalAlternatives.org

2. My background: 20 years as an electrical contractor

3. Kwatt/1000 gal
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
current desalination
Kwatt/1000 gal
Energy Intensity
Desal = 12 X electricity
of current production
Source: Kennedy/Jenks, Energy White Paper

4. Moss Landing
gas-fired plant
Where would the power come from?

5. “Fracking” = Hydraulic
fracturing of underground
rock in order to extract natural
gas or oil. Some chemicals
that have been used in
fracking:
• diesel fuel
• benzene
The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and
then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.
Natural gas extraction
has become more
environmentally
damaging.

6. Why not use renewable
energy to power the plant?
The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your
computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.
The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image
may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may
have to delete the image and then insert it again.

7. Renewable energy sources “are not feasible
at this time for power requirements
typical of large-scale industrial-type
applications.”
- EIR, Santa Cruz’s Integrated Water Plan (2005)
It’s not feasible..

8. City Council:
“We want a carbon-neutral plant.”

9. City Council:
“We want a carbon-neutral plant.”
How can the plant be carbon
neutral when renewable energy to
power the plant has been ruled out?

10. Consultant to Santa Cruz:
Buy Renewable Energy Credits to
claim credit for renewable power.

11. “Little Green Lies”
“Often the Renewable
Energy Credit trade
seems like little more
than buying and selling
bragging rights, rather
than incentives that lead
to the construction of
wind turbines and solar
panels.”
- “Little Green Lies”,
Business Week, Oct 29,
2007

12. The public must be
firm and unwavering
in demanding “no
offsets” because this
sort of monkey
business is exactly
the type of thing that
politicians love and
will try to keep.
- James Hansen
The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the
red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.

14. The problem that the City was
trying to solve
• 2003 Integrated Water Plan estimated a
45% shortfall in a worst-case drought

15. What happened
• Actual demand dropped significantly

16. 1998 Estimate of Water Demand (Maddaus)
actual water demand
through 1998

17. 2003 Adjustment for IWP

19. Desal

21. Water Supply Advisory Committee
Task: “…analyze potential solutions to deliver a safe,
adequate, reliable and environmentally sustainable
water supply.”

22. The Water Supply Advisory Committee
considerations:
1. Fish habitat constraints on water diversion
2. Climate change resulting in lower stream flow

23. The Water Supply Advisory Committee
considerations:
1. Fish habitat constraints on water diversion
2. Climate change resulting in lower streamflow
WSAC technical team:
• 3 billion in storage solves the problem
• 7 billion available storage in the aquifers

24. Depressed groundwater levels provide an opportunity for
GW Replenishment and Banking -Kennedy/Jenks

25. Winter river water
stored in the aquifers
Well water to Santa
Cruz in droughts
Aquifer Recharge Concept
AKA: Water Banking

26. Injection wells
Aquifer Recharge Strategies

27. In lieu recharge
Aquifer Recharge Strategies

28. Storm water infiltration
Aquifer Recharge Strategies
Before
After

29. Kennedy/Jenks (2011)
re: storm water infiltration
• 1000 acre feet per year lost due to impervious
surfaces in Scotts Valley Dr. & Mt. Hermon Rd area
• Average Scotts Valley use (2010-2013) = 1350 acre
feet/year

30. Aquifer Recharge = Win-Win-Win
ü Reverse salt water intrusion
ü Bank water for droughts
ü Restore base-flow in streams

31. Conservation Measures
ü Interim strategy for water security,
pending aquifer recharge
Lake levels: Difference between
80% full and 64% full = 450 million gals
Desal output for 6 mo. = 455 million gals

32. Conservation Measures
ü Saves $$ on water supply investments
e.g. Desal EIR: desal cost per million gallons = $10,750
Current water supply cost/mg = $500

33. Conservation Measures
ü Saves energy

34. Conservation PricingConservation
Measures
Beyond building codeClimate-Appropriate Landscaping
40%
60%
Fixed
Volume