In October 2019, Engineering News-Record (ENR) reported that the California Supreme Court had turned down challenges to the environmental review of the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project. The challenges had come in February 2019 from the City of Marina as well as the Marina Coast Water District. The 330 million US dollar scheme by California American Water (CalAm) combines slant wells reaching under the seabed, an inland desalination plant and brine disposal through an existing wastewater outfall. CDM Constructors was contracted to design and build the plant.
The report showed how long permitting for seawater desalination took in California: CalAm had filed its first application with the state regulator CPUC in 2005, and further permits were still pending.
Source: Engineering News-Record (ENR)