Comision Estadal Del Agua De Baja California (CEA) in Mexico is to build a 21,600 m³/d desalination
plant in the city of Ensenada, to be tendered with a 40% federal contribution towards its estimated
cost of Peso 351.900 million (US$ 28.8 million). The successful tenderer will contribute the
remaining 60%.
The publication Business News Americas has reported that the tender will be
launched on 18 November 2010.
The main sources of drinking water in Ensenada are deep wells drawing from the
aquifers of Guadalupe, La Misión, Ensenada and Maneadero, but these existing sources of supply
are insufficient to cover current and future demand. The state government of Baja California
through the CEA, proposed a solution for obtaining drinking water for the 96,000 inhabitants by
seawater desalination
The site known as "The Salitral" has been chosen as the most suitable for the
construction of the desalination plant taking into account the location of the city and the
Maneadero aquifer, subsurface geology and hydrological properties of the coastal zone.
The work will take 18 months from award of contract.