Mayors' water authority may weigh in on desal delays.

At a special meeting tonight, the Monterey Peninsula mayors will tackle two recent roadblocks slowing the seawater desalination project they're backing, California American Water's Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project.

First, the mayors' group—called the Monterey Peninsula Regional Water Authority (MPRWA)—will address the California Public Utilities Commission's decision to push back the public comment deadline for the project's draft environmental impact report (EIR).

In a July 9 ruling, a PUC administrative judge found that project consultant Dennis Williams, president of Geoscience Support Services, has two potential conflicts of interest that call into question the objectivity of his work. Williams holds several patents for test well technology; he was also consulting on the project in two different roles, working for the PUC in one and for Cal Am in the other.

The second issue: Cal Am shut down its test well in north Marina in early June because groundwater levels were dropping, triggering a condition of Cal Am's California Coastal Commission permit that requires they halt pumping and submit an amended permit application.

Tonight, the mayors will consider a draft set of questions for Cal Am regarding the test slant well. They will also consider a draft letter to the PUC, laying out a set of points regarding the draft EIR public comment period extension.

The draft letter states that the MPRWA supports the EIR extension and encourages the PUC to obtain an independent peer review of Williams' groundwater modeling work.

It also asks the PUC to coordinate with the State Water Resources Control Board on a requested extension of an order to dramatically cut back pumping of the Carmel River at the end of 2016. Finally, it asks the PUC to do a more detailed analysis of other regional desalination proposals as potential alternatives to Cal Am's project.

The meeting begins at 5:30pm today in the Monterey City Council Chamber, 580 Pacific Street, Monterey.