In November 2015, Water. Desalination + reuse (Faversham House) reported that California American Water (CalAm) had applied to extend a deadline set by a 2009 State Water Resources Control Board order. The order required CalAm to cut its withdrawals from the Carmel River substantially by 31 December 2016. CalAm proposed 31 December 2020 instead, with stepwise lower withdrawals, yearly project milestones and penalties for missing them. The planned seawater desalination project for the Monterey Peninsula still needed the approval of the California Public Utilities Commission.
The report showed how closely regulatory deadlines and progress on a desalination project were linked when no replacement existed for an overused river source.