In June 2018, the East Bay Times reported that the Antioch City Council in California voted 5 to 0 to seek a project stabilization agreement covering its planned brackish water desalination plant. Such a pre-hire contract sets common wages, rules and dispute procedures for all contractors and unions on a project. The plant was designed to treat 6 million gallons a day (about 22,700 m³/day) from the San Joaquin River at a cost of around 62.2 million US dollars. In March, the city had won a 10 million dollar grant.
The report showed that municipal desalination projects depended on the labour market as well as on technology and funding: the council wanted to secure workers in a region with many large construction sites.
Source: East Bay Times