As the Monterey Peninsula becomes increasingly dependent on recycled water, the cost of water is going to rise, and already has. Although recycling water is cheaper than desalinating it, it’s still energy intensive. Add to that, energy from the grid can be unreliable – Monterey One Water, which treats wastewater and recycles some of it for potable use, lost power in 2022 for a total of 65.2 hours at its treatment plant in Marina, as the PG&E substation supplying energy to the plant experienced interruptions. While generators were able to keep things humming, it’s not an ideal scenario for the facility – wastewater is constantly flowing, and needs to be treated before being discharged out to sea.