Morro Bay Water Resources Center Moved Off The Coast

In July 2019, the California Coastal Commission granted a coastal development permit to the City of Morro Bay for its new Water Reclamation Facility project sited outside of the coastal zone, which will upgrade the treatment plant and produce recycled water.

The Morro Bay Water Resources Center opened in 2022. It was the first wastewater treatment plant in the state to be moved off the coast, which dramatically reduced the risk of waste releases due to floods, tsunamis, and sea level rise. In 2017 Brad Snook, the Chapter Chair and Campaign Coordinator of the Chapter’s Know Your H20 (KYH2O) program submitted public testimony on Morro Bay’s water reclamation facility. Over the next five years, Brad continued to advocate for the completion of the plant and against changes from water recycling to groundwater injection approach that may have impacted its efficiency.