Water Resources Professional Project Reports

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

Spring 2025

Abstract

In December 2022, the Arizona Water Project Solution (AWPS) was presented to the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA). The project proposes to develop, construct, and operate a Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) plant in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico, and transport potable water through a 200-mile pipeline to supply the city of Phoenix, Arizona, in the United States.

This study includes a cross-multiple-case analysis, incorporating expert data and information, to evaluate the brine impacts and challenges faced in developing the five operational SWRO plants in Israel and the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad plant in California, United States. By identifying patterns, the analysis facilitates comparison and provides insights into the brine impacts and potential challenges of the AWPS.

The findings indicate that the brine discharge impacts from the Israeli and Carlsbad plants are localized, with affected zones extending no more than 0.5 km² from the discharge points. However, salinity variations have been detected up to 13 km away, and significant damages were observed on benthic foraminifera and benthic heterotrophic bacteria, particularly within the brine discharge areas, which can be some of the brine impacts expected for the AWPS.

The study highlights the need for changes in the environmental framework and binational agreements between the United States and Mexico as a critical challenge to ensure projects like the AWPS’s successful development and to address environmental concerns, particularly with regard to potential impacts on the Gulf of California and bulk water trade.

Keywords

Arizona Water Project Solution, AWPS, reverse osmosis, SWRO, brine

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