S.F. Bay Area city adds new, drought-proof source of water – San Francisco Chronicle

Report on the Antioch Desalination Facility and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

The city of Antioch, California, has operationalized a new brackish water desalination plant to address increasing water scarcity and salinity, challenges exacerbated by climate change. This initiative represents a significant step in building local resilience and directly supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). The $120 million facility provides a drought-proof water source, enhancing the city’s capacity to deliver safe and reliable drinking water to its residents.

Project Analysis: A Response to Climate-Induced Water Stress

Rationale and Strategic Objectives

The primary driver for the desalination plant is the deteriorating quality of the city’s water source, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. This initiative aims to achieve the following objectives in line with global sustainability targets:

• Ensure Water Security (SDG 6): Combat the rising salinity of the delta, which during dry periods renders the water undrinkable, thereby securing a consistent supply of safe water.
• Enhance Climate Resilience (SDG 13): Adapt to the impacts of climate change, including prolonged droughts and reduced snowpack, which diminish freshwater flows into the delta.
• Promote Urban Sustainability (SDG 11): Strengthen the resilience of urban infrastructure to climate-related hazards and ensure the long-term viability of the community’s water supply system.

Technical Specifications and Innovation

The Antioch facility showcases an innovative approach to desalination that aligns with SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

1. Technology: The plant utilizes reverse osmosis to treat brackish water, a mix of saltwater and freshwater.
2. Capacity: It can produce up to 6 million gallons of potable water daily, meeting up to 30% of the city’s total demand.
3. Efficiency: Treating brackish water is more energy-efficient and produces less brine byproduct compared to seawater desalination, contributing to more sustainable operations and addressing concerns related to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy). For every 4 gallons processed, 3 gallons of potable water are produced.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

The project is a direct implementation of SDG 6 targets by:

• Guaranteeing access to safe and affordable drinking water for the Antioch community.
• Implementing an integrated water resources management plan that diversifies the local water portfolio.
• Protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems by managing water extraction more sustainably.

SDG 11 & SDG 13: Sustainable Communities and Climate Action

The plant is a critical piece of climate adaptation infrastructure, contributing to:

• Resilient Infrastructure (SDG 11): Building a reliable water system that can withstand climate shocks like drought.
• Climate Adaptation (SDG 13): Strengthening the city’s adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.
• Local Control: Reducing dependence on external water purchases and giving the community greater control over its essential resources.

Environmental and Economic Considerations

Environmental Impact Management

While desalination presents environmental challenges, the Antioch project includes mitigation strategies relevant to SDG 14 (Life Below Water):

• Brine Disposal: A 4-mile pipeline transports the brine byproduct to a wastewater treatment facility for cleansing before its controlled release back into the delta.
• Monitoring: The discharge is monitored to prevent negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems from increased salinity levels.

Economic Framework

The project’s financial structure reflects a long-term investment in sustainability:

• Cost: The production cost is higher than conventional water treatment but is comparable to purchasing water during dry periods.
• Value Proposition: The expense is justified by the assurance of a reliable, drought-proof water supply, a core component of a sustainable economy.
• Funding: The project received significant state support, including nearly $100 million in grants and loans, highlighting a broader governmental commitment to achieving water-related SDGs.

Conclusion: A Replicable Model for Water Resilience

The Antioch desalination facility serves as a forward-thinking model for other communities in California and beyond facing similar climate-driven water challenges. As state estimates predict a potential 10% reduction in water supplies over the next two decades, such investments in innovative and resilient infrastructure will be crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring a secure water future for all.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on Antioch’s desalination plant addresses several interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by focusing on water security, infrastructure development, climate adaptation, and environmental management.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: This is the most central SDG, as the article’s primary focus is on securing a safe and reliable supply of drinking water for the city of Antioch in the face of increasing water salinity.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: The article details the construction and operation of a major piece of infrastructure—the $120 million desalination plant—which uses innovative technology (reverse osmosis for brackish water) to solve a critical resource problem.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The project aims to make the city of Antioch more resilient to water-related shocks and stresses, such as droughts, thereby enhancing the sustainability and security of the urban community.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The desalination plant is presented as a direct response and adaptation strategy to the impacts of climate change, which include “increasing droughts and decreasing snowpack,” leading to higher salinity in the city’s water source.
• SDG 14: Life Below Water: The article touches upon this goal by discussing the environmental challenges associated with desalination, specifically the disposal of toxic brine and the potential impact on aquatic ecosystems in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and San Francisco Bay.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s discussion of the desalination project, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 6.1: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
   • The article explicitly states the plant was built to “ensure that the local water supply… would remain drinkable.” The project directly addresses the need to provide safe water when the primary source becomes “so saline during dry periods that it’s been undrinkable.”
2. Target 6.4: Substantially increase water-use efficiency and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity.
   • The plant is a strategy to “firm up their water supplies” and address scarcity caused by climate change. By creating a new, drought-proof source, Antioch is ensuring a more sustainable supply of freshwater for its population.
3. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure.
   • The $120 million facility is described as a resilient piece of infrastructure that provides “the assurance of having drinkable water” and builds “resilience toward external disruptions” like droughts, contributing to the city’s long-term water security.
4. Target 11.5: Significantly reduce the number of people affected by… water-related disasters.
   • The project is a proactive measure to protect the community from the effects of drought, which is a slow-onset, water-related disaster. By securing a water supply, the city mitigates the potential impact of future severe droughts on its residents.
5. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.
   • The article frames the entire project as an adaptation to “myriad climate pressures, including increasing droughts and decreasing snowpack.” The plant is a concrete action to build resilience against the direct consequences of a warming climate on water resources.
6. Target 14.1: Prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities.
   • The article acknowledges the environmental downside of desalination, namely the “production of toxic brine.” It then details the measures taken to mitigate this pollution, such as building a “4-mile-long pipeline to ship its byproduct to a wastewater treatment facility” and monitoring the discharge to ensure it “doesn’t result in worrisome levels of salinity.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article contains several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• Proportion of water supply from a new, safely managed source: The article states the plant can provide “up to 30% of its total water,” which is a direct measure of diversifying and securing the water supply (relevant to Target 6.1).
• Volume of water produced: The facility produces “as much as 6 million gallons of desalinated water a day,” indicating the capacity of the new infrastructure to meet a significant portion of the city’s demand of “over 20 million gallons a day” (relevant to Target 6.1 and 9.1).
• Investment in resilient infrastructure: The cost of the plant is stated as “$120 million,” with “nearly $100 million” coming from state grants and loans, indicating the financial commitment to building climate-resilient infrastructure (relevant to Target 9.1 and 13.1).
• Water production efficiency: The article provides a clear efficiency metric: “for every 4 gallons of water that is filtered, 3 gallons of potable water is produced,” which is superior to many seawater facilities. This indicates progress in resource-use efficiency (relevant to Target 6.4).
• Energy efficiency: It is mentioned that treating brackish water requires “half as much power” as treating seawater, which is an indicator of adopting more efficient technology (relevant to SDG 9).
• Implementation of pollution control measures: The construction of a “4-mile-long pipeline” for brine disposal and the commitment to monitor salinity levels are indicators of actions taken to prevent marine pollution (relevant to Target 14.1).
• Implementation of a local climate adaptation strategy: The existence and operation of the desalination plant itself serves as a key indicator that the city has developed and implemented a strategy to adapt to climate change impacts (relevant to Target 13.1 and 11.5).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: yahoo.com