Underwater desalination project moves forward in California

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published August 15, 2025 at 11:05 AM CDT

Robert Bergstrom, CEO of OceanWell, says his company’s desalination pods that had been tested at a freshwater reservoir near Los Angeles are a step closer to going into the ocean.

The California-based company has announced new details about its deal with the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District for the first underwater reverse osmosis desalination plant in the U.S. The project would provide fresh water to help relieve drought conditions in the West.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Here & Now Newsroom

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