California extends desalination funding deadline

The California Department of Water Resources has extended to 31 January 2014 its deadline for the receipt of applications for desalination grant funding.

This is the third round of Proposition 50 funding to support projects that develop brackish and seawater desalination as a water supply. Up to US$ 8.7 million will be distributed during this funding round.

The types of projects to be funded are:

· Construction projects having a completed feasibility study or facility plan, and permitting and design either ready to proceed or already proceeding towards construction of a full-scale desalination treatment or brine disposal facility

· Pilot study or demonstration projects with a completed feasibility study or facility plan to assess one or more components of a specific, planned facility

· Feasibility study, including environmental documentation, to assess the viability of implementing a brackish groundwater desalination project in a specific area

· Environmental documentation to supplement a completed feasibility study of an ocean desalination project

· Research project to support permitting agencies in establishing policies and regulatory criteria for water desalination projects and that are not for the purpose of assessing a specific project.