Sydney Turns to
Desalinated Water as Drought Drains Reservoirs
August 23, 2005
Sydney, Australia's biggest city, may get a A$2 billion ($1.5
billion) desalination plant as the nation's worst drought in 100
years empties reservoirs.
Warragamba Dam, which supplies 80% of Sydney's water, fell to
37.2% of capacity on Aug. 18 and reached a record low 34.8% June
23. To save water, the city's 4.2 million residents have been
restricted to watering their gardens just two days a week and
banned from hosing down their cars.
Sydney has less than two years of ``poor quality'' water
left, said John Archer, who has written six books on Australia's
water supply. ``If the desalination doesn't work, Sydney doesn't
have any options other than evacuation,'' he said in an
interview.
The plan was announced by former New South Wales state
premier Bob Carr during a July visit to the desert state of Abu
Dhabi. It faces opposition from environmentalists and some
residents of Kurnell, the south Sydney suburb chosen as the site
of the plant. They say it will use too much energy, is less
efficient than recycling waste water and will damage marine
life.
``It's not the most astute way to deal with water
resources,'' said Greg Leslie, an associate professor at the
University of New South Wales in Sydney. ``To be too dependent
on desalination doesn't make for a sustainable system in the
long term because we're using so much energy to make that
water.''
The plant would process 500 million liters of seawater a day.
Carr, who retired Aug. 2 after more than 10 years as the state's
leader, said desalination is the government's preferred option.
Researchers found people were reluctant to drink recycled waste
water. Carr's successor, Morris Iemma, last week confirmed the
desalination plant, which may take more than two years to build,
would go ahead.
Sydney Water Corp., the government agency that manages the
water supply, says a ``major public education'' program would be
needed to convince people recycled water is safe to drink.
About 68% of residents surveyed are ``uncomfortable'' with
drinking recycled waste water, according to a survey by UMR
Research Pty. The July survey of 600 people had a margin of
error of 4%.
The government's only short-term option for recycling water
is to pump treated sewage into Warragamba Dam, which would
``cost 50% more than desalinated water,'' said Frank Sartor, the
state's planning minister.
Sydney's water supply will fall short of demand because of
population growth, drought, climate change and the unhealthy
state of rivers that feed the city's dams, a government study
said.
``Sydney's water supplies are increasingly inadequate to meet
long-term demand,'' the May 5 report said. The government
estimates the city's population will rise to 4.9 million by
2021.
The proposed site for the desalination plant is near to where
Captain James Cook landed in 1770 and claimed Australia as
British territory. Kurnell is also home to Caltex Australia
Ltd.'s oil refinery, a sewage treatment plant and a sand mine.
``This is just being dumped on Kurnell without any discussion
and any consideration,'' Kevin Schreiber, the mayor of
Sutherland Shire, which includes Kurnell, said in a July 29
interview. ``Residents are very, very concerned.''
Rainfall last month was between 40% and 70% of the monthly
average for southeastern Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology
said.
To save water, the state government has imposed restrictions
on residents. People can hose their lawns and gardens only
before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Sundays, and
can't use a hose to wash their car. Permits are needed to fill
swimming pools larger than 10,000 liters (2,640 gallons).
Water use by residents has dropped 12% below the 10- year
average since restrictions began in October 2003, when the
city's dams fell below 60 percent of capacity, Sydney Water
said. People are encouraged to report neighbors who have
breached restrictions and Sydney Water officers patrol suburban
streets issuing on-the-spot fines of A$220 to offenders.
Mandatory water restrictions were last enforced in November
1994 and remained in place until October 1996.
Source: AP August 23, 2005
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