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Engineering company GHD has prepared a report on the potential impacts of water risks in coming decades, and has also identified a number of potential solutions, including desalination.
It predicts desalination will be “crucial” in easing water stress for coastal cities.
But what is the point of having a desalination plant if it is not used?
A desalination plant was built in Adelaide at massive cost to the nation’s taxpayers.
Unfortunately, the South Australian Government has identified that it is cheaper to use water from upstream storage dams, ignoring the fact that this water must travel more than 2,000km and as a result there are significant transmission losses along the way.
Additionally, the excessive flows to supply this water to Adelaide are contributing to riverbank damage and European carp proliferation.
GHD Australian water market leader Lindsey Brown says governments have a key role to play in managing the transition to better water management methods.
A sensible first step would be demanding the SA Government fully utilise its desalination plant, so more water is available for our environment and food growing.
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