Poseidon and IDE may start operations at $1bn Carlsbad desalination project ahead of schedule

IDE Technologies and Poseidon Resources are set to complete construction of $1bn Carlsbad desalination project in the drought-hit state of California, US, before its scheduled date.

Bloomberg quoted IDE Technologies project developer chief executive officer Avshalom Felber as saying: "The contractual date is at the end of November and we’ll probably finish a few weeks ahead of that."

Once operational, the facility will have the daily capacity to produce 54 million gallons of drinkable water.

It features reverse osmosis as water purification technology, and will be the largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere, when commissioned.

The plant will be able to support nearly 7% of water requirements in San Diego county, California, after reaching full capacity.

It will have a provision for expansion by around six million gallons.

The project includes a ten-mile pipeline through Carlsbad, Vista and San Marcos which will connect the reverse osmosis facility with an aqueduct.

In November 2012, the San Diego County Water Authority had signed a 30-year deal with developer Poseidon to buy 48,000 acre-feet of desalinated seawater each year from the plant.

San Diego County Water Authority has also completed $80m upgrades to its facilities for distribution of desalinated water in the region.