How many desalination plants in australia

Both have remained in operation since they were built. Read more: Is Perth really running out of water? Well, yes and no. Modern industrial-scale desalination uses reverse osmosis to remove salt and other impurities from sea water.

Water is forced under high pressure through a series of membranes through which salt and other impurities cannot pass. Design, construction and maintenance costs of these industrial plants are high. They also use massive amounts of electricity , which increases greenhouse gas emissions unless renewable energy sources are used.

Another concern is the return of the excess salt to the environment. Australian studies have shown minimal impact. Read more: Fixing cities' water crises could send our climate targets down the gurgler.

Just as many of the massive new desalination factories were completed, and proudly opened by smiling politicians, it started raining. The desalination plants were switched off as storages filled. However, water consumers still had to pay for the dormant plants to be maintained — hundreds of millions of dollars a year in the case of the Melbourne and Sydney plants.

Now drought has returned to southeast Australia. Once again, many capital city water storages are in steep decline. So what is the response of water authorities in the desal age? Not surprisingly, more desalination is their answer. This will ensure we continue to deliver high-quality drinking water for Greater Sydney. While the plant is operating, we can adjust the capacity based on our system's needs. This is reflected in the —22 water service charges.

We supply desalinated water to up to 1. If you live or work in an area that can be supplied by desalinated water, you may receive water from dams, the desalination plant or a combination of both. It was constructed to safeguard water supplies for Adelaide and to ensure that sufficient water is available in extremely dry years. The ADP can supply up to ML per day with an annual production of billion litres, which is about half of the water needs for the city.

Most years the ADP operates in a reduced capacity because of reduced demand and the relatively higher costs of producing desalinated water. There are a number of small scale desalination plants operated around South Australia. For exampleYorke Peninsula Council operates a small seawater desalination plant at Marion Bay capable of producing 65 kilolitres per day. The use of desalinated water improves the quality of water supplied to the Marion Bay Caravan Park, businesses, residents and visitors to the area.

Sundrop Farms near Port Augusta is an example of a privately operated solar powered seawater desalination plant that supplies freshwater for horticulture.