For the first time, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District has formally expressed opposition to the California American Water desalination project, backing the proposed Pure Water Monterey recycled water project expansion instead as a replacement and not just a backup.

At the same time, the water district took another step toward a potential acquisition of Cal Am’s Monterey water system with the release of a draft environmental impact report on the proposed public buyout effort.

In a split vote, the water district board on Monday approved a letter to Coastal Commission executive director John Ainsworth calling for the commission to deny Cal Am’s desal permit bid, arguing that the Pure Water Monterey expansion is a “feasible alternative” to desal that could produce enough water to meet the Carmel River pumping cutback order based on the district’s own analysis at lower cost and less environmental impact.

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