Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Web site for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review of the proposed Coastal Water Project (CWP). This site provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA environmental review process.

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Following circulation of the DEIR and incorporation of public comments and responses to comments, a Final Environment Impact Report (FEIR) was published by the CPUC on October 30, 2009, and submitted into the formal record of the CPUC's Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) proceeding for CalAm (Proceeding A.04-09-019). The FEIR is being reviewed by a CPUC Administrative Law Judge (ALJ Minkin), who has prepared a Proposed Decision for consideration by the full Commission regarding certification of the EIR, in compliance with the requirements of CEQA (please see http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/EFILE/PD/109549.htm). The Commission will consider whether to approve the proposed project or one of the proposed alternatives after further proceedings in the formal docket (A.04-09-019). For example, in addition to environmental impacts, the ALJ will also consider any other issues that have been established in the formal proceeding record, including but not limited to economic issues, social impacts, specific routing and alignments, and the need for the project.

The CPUC’s Public Advisor's Office provides procedural information and advice to individuals and groups who want to participate in formal PUC proceedings (and who are not currently “parties to the case”), and can also help answer your questions, can help you locate information, or can refer you to an appropriate staff person. Additional comments on the FEIR cannot be considered as part of the EIR; however, the Public Advisor can accept correspondence regarding this matter. Any such correspondence will be included in the Correspondence File for this proceeding.

CPUC Public Advisor
505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 2103
San Francisco, CA 94102
public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov.

Background
California American Water (CalAm) submitted an application on September 24, 2004 to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to implement the Coastal Water Project (CWP). The CWP would supply 12,500 acre-feet of water per year (afy) for urban users on the Peninsula, as well as for injection into the Seaside Groundwater Basin. The proposed project includes the construction and operation of a seawater desalination plant including intake and discharge facilities, water transmission pipelines, storage reservoirs, pump stations, and aquifer storage and recovery facilities. For information on the CPUC process regarding CalAm's request to recover the costs of the CWP through rates, visit the CPUC proceedings page.

The CWP has been proposed in order to comply with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Order 95-10 which requires CalAm to secure a water supply to replace diversions from the Carmel River Aquifer above 3,376 afy to which CalAm has legal water rights, as well as the Seaside Groundwater Basin Adjudication which limits CalAm's extractions from the Seaside Basin.