Desalination Decisions Pave Way To Restart Plant
Santa Barbara City Council spent another day debating whether to restart an old desalination plant.
The council voted unanimously to back a plan to submit permits and to collect construction bids that would pave the way to restarting the plant by the summer of 2016.
But it would come at a cost. The city would pass on the cost to water users by as much as $14 to $20 on the average monthly bill.
The council also considered studying ways to prevent the intake area from harming marine life.
The current plan calls for putting a new pipe inside an existing pipe near Stearns Wharf.
Environmentalists suggest putting the intake pipe under the sand.
