The City of Santa Barbara is getting a $29 million loan to install an ozone water purifier at the Cater Water Treatment Plant as part of a longstanding effort to comply with increasingly stringent federal standards. The energy-intensive system is designed to kill potential carcinogens in the water created when sunlight interacts with leaves, twigs, and other vegetation. Because Montecito and Carpinteria water customers will benefit from this process, their water agencies will be on the hook for nearly 40 percent of the costs.
