Courtesy of Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang 

Sacramento – Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang (R-Diamond Bar) introduced Assembly Bill 1925 on February 11, to establish annual goals for the production of potable water through desalination into law.  This legislation comes at a time when Californians calling out for new sources of water to better prepare us for droughts of the future, as well as address our current drought which is in its fifth year.

“We can all agree that our state is lacking when it comes to sustainable water supplies,” said Chang. “Our water infrastructure was designed for a smaller, younger California and we have outgrown it. It is important that we start placing priority on projects that promote self-reliance and sustainable supply in dry times.”

This is not the first ti​me California has been faced with diminished water supplies. Multiple times we have seen the legislature and the people support policies that improve upon our water infrastructure. This includes legislation in 1997 which placed goals for water production through water recycling into law. This legislation resulted in a state wide push for more water recycling, which mirrors the intent AB 1925 holds for desalination.

Chang added, “I recently took a study trip with several of my legislative colleagues to Australia in order to learn about their historical drought and how they pulled themselves out.  One of the main solutions that stood out was the use of desalination. It offers a source of clean water for not just cities closest to the ocean but all of Southern California and the Central Valley. Now is the time for us to get serious about planning for and diversifying our future water supply. Desalination needs to play a serious role in that effort.”

Recently, the nation’s largest desalination plant went online in Carlsbad and another large facility in Huntington Beach is in the final steps of the permitting process. In the 15 years of planning the Huntington Beach facility has faced, Australia has put 6 facilities into operation. Their largest facility more than doubles the daily water production of both the Carlsbad and Huntington Beach facilities combined.  

Chang concluded, “We have a long way to go in making the diverse regions of our state independent when it comes to their water supplies. Countries like Australia and Singapore have found environmentally friendly ways of mass producing water through desalination. California can follow suit and provide our constituents with a reliable supply of clean drinking water. My bill will ensure that this becomes a statewide priority.”