COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

 

 4.

PRESENTATION ON THE SEAWATER DESALINATION VESSEL PROJECT prepared by WATER STANDARD COMPANY

 

Meeting Date:

July 23, 2007

Budgeted: 

N/A

 

From:

David A. Berger,

Program/

N/A

 

General Manager

Line Item No.:

 

Prepared By:

Andrew Bell,

Cost Estimate:

N/A

 

District Engineer

 

 

 

General Counsel Approval:  N/A

Committee Recommendation:  N/A

CEQA Compliance:  N/A

 

SUMMARY:   Representatives of Water Standard Company will give a presentation on the Seawater Desalination Vessel Project (previously termed Seawater Conversion Vessel).  This project features a seawater desalination plant located on a ship anchored in Monterey Bay, with the treated water transported to shore and delivered to the Cal-Am distribution system.  Basic information on the project is included in the MPWMD Comparative Matrix of water supply alternatives dated October 16, 2006.  This matrix was distributed to Community Advisory Committee (Committee) members at the February 6, 2006 Committee meeting.  The presenters will address questions orally following the presentation.

 

RECOMMENDATION:   This item is a presentation only.  The Community Advisory Committee members should express their initial opinions on the merits and drawbacks of this project as part of Item 6, “Committee Comments on the Seawater Desalination Vessel Project Proposed by Water Standard Company.”

 

BACKGROUND:   Summary information regarding the Seawater Desalination Vessel Project, formerly referred to as the Seawater Conversion Vessel, is located in column B of Part I-B of the Matrix, pages 178 through 184 of the packet for the October 16, 2006 MPWMD Board meeting.  Item 13 from that packet, pages 159 through 205, was distributed at the February 6, 2006 Committee meeting. 

 

Following is the summary description of the project from the October 16, 2006 staff report.  Water Standard Company representatives will provide updated information during their presentation.

 

Seawater Conversion Vessel (Proponent: Standard Water Company – Exhibit 13-B, Column B)

New and Changed Information in 2006:  This project was not included in prior years’ matrices.  Representatives of three firms participating in the project, Standard Water Company, PBS&J, and GE Energy, presented the concept to the Board at a workshop on August 31, 2006.  The seawater conversion vessel project, proposed by Standard Water Company, is based upon an offshore “mother ship” containing a seawater desalination plant using reverse osmosis technology and one or more gas turbine engines to provide energy for the desalination process and associated shipboard facilities.  Treated water would be delivered to an onshore water distribution system such as Cal-Am’s using either a pipeline placed on the seabed or a “shuttle ship” tanker to deliver water to a shoreside facility for unloading.  At the September 18, 2006 regular Board meeting, the Board directed that the project be added to the matrix.  The information shown in Exhibit 14-B, Column B, was provided by Skip Griffin of PBS&J.  Mr. Griffin also provided a PowerPoint presentation on the project that is a revised version of the presentation made at the August 31, 2006 Board workshop.  This document, titled “The Benefits of a Seawater Conversion Vessel” and dated September 27, 2006, is attached as Exhibit 13-D [attached here as Exhibit 4-A].

 

The District Board directed that this project be added to the District’s evaluation of major seawater desalination projects.  The draft report by Bookman-Edmonston/GEI Consultants titled “Draft Evaluation of Seawater Desalination Projects Proposed for the Monterey Peninsula” was received by the Board at their July 16, 2007 meeting.  Copies of the draft report are being provided to Community Advisory Committee members under separate cover.  A significant amount of information on the project, including independent evaluation by the consultant team, is provided in the draft report.  Staff requests that the Committee members provide any comments they may have on the draft report in writing not later than Friday August 17, 2007.

 

EXHIBITS

4-A      PowerPoint presentation by PBS&J for Water Standard Company, September 27, 2006, “The Benefits of a Seawater Conversion Vessel”

 

 

 

 

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