Desalination will provide fresh water

Suzanne Beukema

When we turn on our kitchen faucet or the front yard garden hose, we

take it for granted that the water will flow. But with no end to

Southern California’s six-year drought in sight, we can’t take that

water for granted any longer.

The U.S. Department of the Interior will soon make the first-ever

declaration of a water shortage on the Colorado River, said Bennett

Raley, the Interior Department’s immediate past assistant secretary

for water and science.

Continued population growth has depleted the western states’

traditional water sources to near record lows. That means Huntington

Beach residents -- along with other Southern Californians -- are

running a severe risk of shortages and even rationing in the years

ahead.

Currently, nearly 40% of Huntington Beach’s water supply is

imported from Northern California and the Colorado River. The

question on most community leader minds is not if water supplies will

be cut, but when.

One solution to our drought problem is responsible conservation

efforts, but they are only one piece of the drought solution puzzle.

It is crucial that we proactively address our looming water shortage

in ways that protect taxpayer dollars, our economy and our quality of

life for the long term.

One taxpayer-friendly, proactive solution is the proposed

desalination facility in Huntington Beach, which will serve as a

vital new source of safe drinking water and a major relief to our

depleted traditional water sources. In addition to a reliable water

supply, the desalination facility offers significant tax benefits to

Huntington Beach residents, using private investment for public

benefit at a time when cities are desperately reaching out for their

fair share of tax dollars for parks, sewers and vital public safety

services.

With a public-private partnership on the planning table, the

Huntington Beach desalination facility will be a tremendous economic

asset to the city. Consider the following economic benefits -- all at

no cost to taxpayers:

* Bringing the City of Huntington Beach nearly $2 million in

annual tax revenue - money that could help support schools, public

safety, libraries and parks.

* Generating $500,000 per year in sales tax revenue, a third of

which will go the County and area cities for police, fire and other

local services.

* Contributing $50,000 per year to the City of Huntington Beach in

utility tax dollars.

Beyond the tax benefits directly attributed to the desalination

facility, the stabilization it provides to the local water supply has

a very important “big picture” economic impact. How? A stable,

abundant water supply will protect property values and attract

businesses to the area.

We can’t afford to let ongoing drought threaten our econom- ic

future. Huntington Beach has always been a leader in maximizing its

water resources through conservation and smart water management, but

limitations to the region’s water supplies means new solutions are

needed.

With this new desalination facility, we have a local project under

local control and an opportunity to blaze a new trail in Southern

California’s ongoing quest for water and help secure a stable economy

by bringing millions of annual tax dollars to Huntington Beach.

* SUZANNE BEUKEMA is a Huntington Beach resident. To contribute to

“Sounding Off” e-mail us at hbindy@latimes.com or fax us at (714)

966-4667.