CALIFORNIA – The city of Antioch has been selected to receive a $10 million grant from the state of California to invest into the construction of a $62 million desalination plant. ^[1] The grant will be funded by a water bond under California’s Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 (Proposition 1), which so far has authorized over $7 billion in general bonds for state and municipal water projects. Antioch is among eight communities selected to receive a share of  $34 million in state money for desalination projects. Six of these projects, including Antioch, are not seawater based. Antioch’s plant will desalinate water from the San Joaquin River and will have an output capacity of 27,276 m³ water per day.^[2] The city hopes to begin construction on the plant in early 2019 and to complete the project within 18 months.

SAUDI ARABIA – Early last week, King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) and Metito broke ground on the city’s second solar-powered seawater desalination plant.  The $60 million facility will initially have the capacity to produce 30,000 m³ water per day, with the potential for further expansion to 60,000m³/d. The plant is scheduled to for commissioning in the first quarter of 2020.^[3]

^{KAEC and Metito executives laying the foundation stone for the seawater desalination plant Credit: Saudi Gazette}

OMAN – The Public Authority for Electricity and Water of Oman (PAEW, officially known as Diam), has announced plans to add ten more desalination plants to its network by 2023. Speaking with ‘Muscat Daily’, PAEW Chairman  Mohammed Bin Abdullah al Mahrouqi stated that three desalination plants in Sohar, Barka and Qurayyat will be built this year, with a fourth coming up in 2019. A further six plants are planned to be awarded by 2023.^[4]

TEXAS – Initial construction on the Brazosport brackish water desalination plant has encountered delays following the discovery that a part of the site for the planned plant had been declared a wetland. Despite the setback, Brazosport Water Authority officials expect to see the $59 million project moving forward soon. Authority board president Juan Longoria has stated that he expects progress on the plant to be visible to residents by early next year.

The desalination plant will become necessary when water supply from the Brazos River is low, allowing the Water Authority to supply water to its seven member cities — Angleton, Brazoria, Clute, Freeport, Lake Jackson, Oyster Creek and Richwood.^[5]