The Desal Link pipeline connects key community water sources with a new underground pipeline between the Charles E. Meyer Desalination Plant and water mains connected to the Cater Water Treatment Plant. The pipeline installation was completed in 2023 and is part of a series of projects to enable desalinated water to reach our entire service area while enhancing system resiliency and improving water quality.
The Desal Link pipeline was completed on August 1, 2023 and has been put into use moving water from the Cater Water Treatment Plant to downtown Santa Barbara. Another project is underway to upgrade the pumps at the Desal Plant and is scheduled for completion in early 2025. The upgraded pumps will give the City the ability to move desalinated water up toward the Cater Water Treatment Plant. A third project is in the final stages of design to add an additional underground storage tank and piping at the Cater Water Treatment Plant to receive the desalinated water. Construction at Cater Water Treatment Plant is expected to be complete at the end of 2028. When all these projects are completed, the City will have the ability to move water from the Desal Plant up to Cater Water Treatment Plant and blend the water sources for distribution.