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Santa Barbara to spend $55 million on desalination plant as drought 'last resort'

Lawmakers in Santa Barbara on Tuesday unanimously approved spending $55 million to reactivate a mothballed desalination plant that could provide the Central Coast city with nearly a third of its drinking water.

The Charles E. Meyer Desalination Facility was built during a drought in the 1990s but closed in 1992 when desperation for water subsided. The plant was never utilized beyond a testing period, but the city maintained it in the event that a severe water shortage might once again threaten the city.

“Desalination has been a last resort,” Mayor Helene Schneider told The Times Tuesday night after the vote.