Water. Desalination + reuse
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1056083
26 In Site December 2018 Water.desalination+reuse reverse osmosis desalina- tion plant (ADP), located in Lonsdale, which was initiated in 2007 during the severe drought known as the Millennium Drought. ADP began producing water in 2011 and was used intensive- ly between 2013 and 2015, but production was scaled back subsequently due to greater wa- ter availability in metropolitan reservoirs and from the Murray River. The plant currently runs in what SA Water describes as "minimum production mode" for nine months of the year, con- tributing up to eight gigalitres of drinking water annually (21,920 m3/d), or less than 10 per cent of its total capacity. "We protect aŠ ordability for our customers by using lower cost sources of water ‹ rst, it's the combination and Ž exibility of all our water sources that sup- ports Adelaide's water security. As our only climate-indepen- dent source of drinking water, the ADP is the city's insurance policy against future drought," a spokesperson for SA Water told Water. desalination + reuse. ADP has one of the lowest carbon footprints of any desali- nation plant in the world, with 100 per cent of power generated from renewable sources. Other measures to reduce its environ- mental impact include on-site rainwater harvesting for use within the plant, and capture of stormwater and surface water run-oŠ from local wetlands. New project for Sleaford Bay Also in South Australia, the fra- gility of the water supply on Eyre Peninsula is a longstanding con- cern. Back in 2008, Sleaford Bay, in Port Lincoln, was identi‹ ed as the preferred site for a new seawater desalination plant. The project was deferred when local water sources became replen- ished, but following four con- secutive years of low rainfall and in the interest of protecting the groundwater resource, SA Water is now revisiting the option. In July 2018, the water authority purchased 60 hectares of land at Sleaford Bay, 17 kilometres west of Port Lincoln, which is understood to be the site of the proposed $80 million plant. "We recently reactivated community engagement on the desalination option. Planning and design for a desalination plant at Sleaford Bay are still in the very early stages and will be informed by community feedback and extensive environ- mental investigations, with the aim of minimising impact on the local environment," SA Water's spokesperson says. SOUTH AUSTRALIA • Adelaide Desalination Plant capacity up to 274,000 m3/d • 100 per cent of plant's power generated by renewable sources • State is investigating options for new plant in Sleaford Bay "Parched" is an appropriate word for South Australia, the driest state in the country, hav- ing the driest capital, Adelaide, in the south. The state water au- thority SA Water operates eight desalination plants, including two seawater plants and three plants used to treat bore water. The largest by far is Adelaide