A California state board has approved a permit to allow the city of Santa Barbara to restart its seawater desalination plant.
The Central Coast Regional Water Board said Monday that its action modifies a 1991 permit to clarify that the facility meets state requirements for operating an open-ocean intake. The city agreed to update the plant’s screen technology and pay US$ 500,000 toward a coastal restoration project.
The city estimated last May that it would need US$ 20 million in technological upgrades, a cost likely to be borne by ratepayers.
A restart would require city council approval.