L.A. County Looks For Ways To Fund Catalina Desalination Plant

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles County supervisors have agreed to look at ways of helping build a desalination plant for water-strapped Santa Catalina Island.

City News Service says supervisors Tuesday gave the public works director 30 days to report back with ideas to fund the $1.6 million project.

The island 22 miles off Southern California gets water from wells, reservoirs and an existing desalination plant.

But if California's drought persists, officials expect to order a 50 percent cut in water use this fall.

That follows a 34 percent reduction the island's 4,100 residents and businesses have achieved since 2012.

Supervisor Don Knabe says a further reduction could close hotel rooms and devastate the island's tourist economy.

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