SAVE $70 MILLION OFF OUR WATER BILL The expected cost of the Regional Water Scheme (RWS) has blown out from $110 million to $170 million. The pipeline to Coffs Harbour cost $50 million, leaving $120 million to build the Shannon Ck dam. During last year's State election campaign, both Labour and National candidates said Shannon Ck dam had a 20 year life expectancy and by then desalination might be a competitive water source. Well, take another look. In the USA, proposed dams are being replaced by desalination plants. Desalination is more than competitive right now.
In September 2003, Energy and Utilities Minister Frank Sartor announced a $4 million desalination plant for Broken Hill. The plant uses reverse osmosis technology to treat six million litres a day, approximately 30% of Broken Hill's demand. It was commissioned and undergoing performance testing by February. The Minister is considering a similar solution for the Clarence.
Ignoring economies of scale, the 7 Broken Hill size plants required to produce the region's current water consumption of around 40Ml/day would cost $28million. Admittedly, desalination uses a lot of electricity. Current technology uses around 3kWh to produce 1000 litres (1 kilolitre or kl) of pure water from seawater, plus another 2kWh/kl for pre-treatment and delivery to users. To produce 40Ml/day or 1666kl/h would use around 8MW. A renewable energy source such as a 10MW wind turbine farm costs around $17million to set up. It would be installed at a suitably windy site, such as along the Victorian coast. Wind turbines produce energy 365 days of the year, yet the desalination plant would only need to be run during times of drought. The rest of the time, the power produced would be sold to the grid, raising revenue and saving greenhouse gas emissions. This is obviously not in North Coast Water's charter, but NSW Government could invest money earmarked for the dam project.
So, the total cost of plant and all future electricity usage would be $45million, offset by the income from the wind turbines. Some pipelines would need to be built or upgraded to connect into the existing reticulation system. Land required for the small plants is a tiny percentage of the thousands of hectares already purchased at Shannon Ck. Desalination units could be distributed on Crown land along the coast where needed. Running costs (membranes and filters) might be higher than a dam, but not when writing off a $120million project over 20 years is taken into account.
Desalination plants could be operational in one year instead of the 3 years (or longer following the recent mini budget?) needed to build and fill a dam. Saving tens of millions of dollars from our water rates and helping the State government's deficit. Saving the numerous threatened species and amazing diversity of Shannon Ck. Without the dam worries of algae, leaks, silting up or not being able to fill it due to drought. North Coast Water's handling of this project makes it plain that apart from water, a major goal of the Regional Water Scheme is development, not only in Coffs, but also around Shannondale, using the roads we water users will pay for.
-John & Patricia
DESALINATION: CHEAPER, SOONER AND MORE RELIABLE