Liquid asset, saving water for a stronger economy
Matt Sanford
Economic Development Manager
City of Carlsbad
From our world-class golf courses, to our groundbreaking life science labs, to our nationally-renowned craft breweries—they all share a critical key to their success: water.
Though we tend to take it for granted, water is perhaps the most important ingredient in our economy. And like all precious resources, it’s limited. In fact, while about 70 percent of our planet is covered with water, less than one percent is available for human use, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Conserving water is especially critical here in the San Diego region, where we’re grappling with yet another serious drought. So far, this is our eighth driest year in our 128-year record, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
What’s more, our region depends heavily on imported water. Much like an investment portfolio, we should ideally be diversifying our water sources, which makes us more drought resilient.
Poseidon Water is helping to make that happen at its Carlsbad Desalination Plant. Every day, this plant produces more than 50 million gallons of high-quality drinking water—enough to serve about 400,000 San Diego County residents. It’s the County’s largest single local water source, accounting for 38 percent of all local water.
And now that the Encina Power Station has been decommissioned and demolition is nearly done, Poseidon’s new seawater intake is under construction. This intake will be the first to comply with the California Ocean Plan Amendment and the first to meet the rigorous environmental standards set by state and local agencies.
We’re proud to see this environmental leadership and innovation here in Carlsbad. But building a truly resilient region is going to take all of us. We must all do our part of conserving water.
Reducing your water usage is not just good for the planet, it’s also good for the bottom line. For starters, using less water will obviously save you money on day-to-day operations. But beyond that, there are several financial incentives.
The City of Carlsbad works with the San Diego County Water Authority to offer businesses rebates if they:
• Install rain gutters
• Install water-efficient toilets
• Install weather-based irrigation controllers
• Replace turf with water smart, native plants
• Install rain barrels or other rain-saving features
• Upgrade driveways and parking lots with pavers or porous pavement
You can find more information about all of these rebates at sdcwa.org/your-water/ conservation. If you’re not sure where to get started, we can help you get a free evaluation. Email us at [email protected] or call us at 442-339-2363.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t highlight our own commitment to conserving water. The City of Carlsbad started taking action many years ago, and today, we’re seeing the benefits. Carlsbad has one of the most robust recycled water systems in the state. This is one of the many ways we’re stepping up to keep Carlsbad, and our entire region, thriving.
Just consider this: Water supports $482 million in regional sales, according to research by the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation. That’s the same as 2.7 Comic-Cons every day.
No doubt, saving water has tremendously positive ripple effects. Let’s start reaping those benefits together. It’ll keep our economy stronger, and our future brighter.