Antioch receives $10M state grant for desalination plant

Antioch will create a desalination plant with a $10 million grant from the state of California, the city announced on Wednesday.

Antioch is among only three cities or water agencies to receive the large grant, according to the Antioch city manager’s office.

The city will use the money to generate its own clean, safe drinking water.

The desalination plant will eventually be able to convert up to 6 million gallons of salt water into clean drinking water every day, according to city officials.

Antioch Mayor Sean Wright said in a statement:

“This is a tremendous economic development engine which allows Antioch to competitively attract industries that need a reliable local water supply.”

The grant is funded by a water bond, Proposition 1, which was approved in November 2014. It authorized over $7 billion in general bonds for state and municipal water projects.