The city of Sydney has been reliant solely on surrounding dams and rain for its drinking water. With Sydney's growing population and uncertain rainfall due to climate change, the New South Wales Government recognised the need for a new, non-rainfall dependent source of water to secure supplies for the future.
Sydney's Desalination Plant provides a supplementary drinking water source and is one part of the New South Wales Government's Metropolitan Water Plan to guarantee long term water supply. Other initiatives include wastewater recycling (such as the Rosehill Recycled Water Scheme), stormwater recycling and subsidising the purchase of household water saving devices.
The plant supplies an average of 250 million litres of safe drinking water per day. This is equivalent to approximately 15 per cent of Sydney's drinking water supply.
On behalf of Sydney Water, the Blue Water Joint Venture (Veolia Water and John Holland) constructed the plant which Veolia Water is now operating and maintaining. Construction commenced in 2007 and included extensive environmental monitoring and a comprehensive community consultation program. The plant began providing drinking water to Sydney in February 2010.
Seawater is treated using reverse osmosis which pushes seawater through a membrane. Salt and any other impurities are removed, producing freshwater.
Concentrated extracted seawater is released back into the ocean where it mixes and returns to normal salt levels within 50 to 75 metres of the outlet with no impact on surrounding marine life.
Treated water is delivered to Sydney's existing drinking water network via a pipeline from Kurnell to Erskinville. This pipeline was built under a separate contract.
The power needs of the desalination plant are fully offset by renewable energy produced at a wind farm near Queanbeyan.
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