Last week marked a major milestone for OceanWell and our partners. Together with Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) and six other forward-thinking Southern California water agencies, we announced the launch of Water Farm 1 (WF1), the nation’s first subsea reverse osmosis project and a bold step toward securing a more resilient water future.

This isn’t just another project announcement. It’s the beginning of a movement to redefine how communities source clean water in the face of drought, climate change, and overdrawn natural systems.

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Why This Matters

Water Farm 1 is designed to deliver up to 60 million gallons per day of fresh water by 2030, enough to support hundreds of thousands of residents in Southern California. By using natural ocean pressure to power the reverse osmosis process, our subsea water farms can reduce energy use by 40% and avoid the environmental challenges associated with traditional desalination.

This means:

• Cleaner, more sustainable water production

• Less strain on rivers, aquifers, and fragile ecosystems

• Resilient supply for communities most impacted by drought
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The Power of Partnership

What makes this milestone especially meaningful is the spirit of collaboration driving it forward. Water Farm 1 wouldn’t be possible without the leadership of LVMWD and the commitment of the six other regional water agencies. Together, we’re tackling the challenge of building infrastructure that can bring ocean-sourced fresh water inland,  a challenge too big for any one organization to solve alone.

As Dave Pedersen, General Manager of LVMWD, put it: “Developing an alternative water supply from the Pacific Ocean makes sense, and we will work with OceanWell and other public water agencies to achieve that goal.”

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Looking Ahead

Water Farm 1 is more than a project, it’s a vision of what’s possible when innovation meets collaboration. Our partners are already funding feasibility studies, exploring delivery pathways, and guiding environmental stewardship to ensure this solution benefits both communities and ecosystems.

For OceanWell, it’s also a major step toward our larger goal: adding one million acre-feet of new potable water to the global supply within the next decade.

In a world where traditional water systems are under growing pressure, Water Farm 1 signals the beginning of a new era, one where oceans are not barriers, but lifelines.

We’re proud to be on this journey with our partners, and we can’t wait to share more progress as Water Farm 1 moves forward.

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Read the full press release here‍
Learn more about our deep-sea water farm technology here

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