kchtcl Cw-pontion studicd ~hc fastbility of a dual-purposl pwrcr and dcsslination plant apcrblc c=f pruduciny up to 1%mgd of fre_;h UMC'T and a Irlrgc blo& of pouer for Southern California. The three majorclcztrrr: utllitiel in Southern California proposed that the po\cr fetiturcs bc clrpsndcd to two NSSS. cxh capable rrf pravidrng steam for generating apprownate~y 750 &lb' of electricity in addition to the capacit) to opcratc a 354%X-IW turbine generator which would exhaust into the hater of the flash e;lpixator qstcm. Conclusions rcachcd acre that the bsmt COSI \r?tclr, 22 cmts pet I .W U.S. gallons, \kould result if the fxiiity ~etc crxrcd on 1 man nw.lc tsibnd about one kilometer from the shorchnc. Studies ntlde later indkxtcd that a ringlc-level de&ring plant would probably; bc merit appropriate and that electric motor drives for thz large pumps would result in the IO~CZJ first cost and louest operating cost. HydrsluIic model studies and laboratory tests probed the island dcfenx design to be srablc against the maximum storm wake. iNTRODUC'TlOS A?r'D BACKGROtJSD in December 1964, the Metropolitan Water District ** of Southern California, in coopersition with the United States Office of Saline W&r and the United States Atomic Energy Commission engaged Bechtel Corporation to study the engineering and economic feasibility of a dual-purpose powr and desalting plant capabk of producing up to 140 mgd of fresh \vrtkr and a large block of power for Southern California. Early in the course of the study, the three major electric utilities in Southern California, i.e., the Department of Water and Power of the City of Los Angeles, Southern California Edison Company, and San Diego Gas and Electric Company. proposed + ' Paper prcsentcd at the Second Europem Symposium on Fresh Wetter 1967, Athens, Gr~. European Federation of Chemical Engineering. Y * For brevity, or 3s MWD. further rcferenccs to the hirtropolitan Warct District will be s hewn as District ,he Sea t ,May 9-12, 227 Desuli~arion, 2 (1967) 227-233 l-kr_ KESSEYH DA'& LlOSEL GAISTAUN ASD CARL SCHARPF