In February 2023, Orange Coast reported on South Coast Water District's Doheny Ocean Desalination Project in California. The project had been approved by the California Coastal Commission and the State Lands Commission. Slant wells were to draw seawater from beneath the ocean floor, with treatment by reverse osmosis and disinfection. The goal was a local, drought-proof supply with less imported water. According to general manager Rick Shintaku, the district could deliver 2 million gallons a day, about 7,600 m³/day, for 60 days if pipelines failed.
The report presented desalination as a safeguard against failures of the import pipelines, for example after earthquakes, and not only as a response to drought.
Source: Orange Coast