The Monterey Peninsula Water Project (MWPW) is a water management project seeking to meet water demands of Monterey residents. The major water source for Monterey is powered by the Carmel River, which is precipitation influenced and does not receive water perennially. In addition to the Carmel River, the Seaside Groundwater Basin is the only other form of water supply. Both watersheds have been protected under stiff regulation to significantly reduce water diversion, especially the Carmel River which has been severely affected by California's drought. The MPWP is the proposed answer to help meet current and future water demands, while dealing with these reductions from the Carmel River and Seaside Groundwater Basin. The main features of this project will include a desalination plant, slant wells that will draw water from underneath the sea floor along the coastline, and a 10-mile pipeline extending through the north part of Monterey to supply water to its residents. The goal throughout the planning of this new infrastructure is to protect ocean wildlife, while excess brine will be handled by the area's water pollution control agency. The total cost of this project is estimated to be 322 million dollars with 79 million coming from subsurface intake, 115 million from the desalination plant, and 128 million from the pipelines. The MPWP is divided into three main aspects which include desalination, aquifer storage and recovery, and groundwater replenishment.
