Southern Seawater Desalination Project

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Why does Western Australia need another desalination plant?
There are no simple solutions or quick fixes when it comes to planning Western Australia's water supplies.  The Water Corporation puts a great deal of effort into planning for our future needs and our challenge is to provide safe, reliable water services to West Australians in an ever drying climate. The state has been hit hard with reduced inflows to dams and since 2001 we are at 25 per cent of the inflow we had in 1974. There are a whole range of initiatives we are undertaking by way of our 'security through diversity' policy like waste water recycling, catchment thinning and management, introducing efficiency measures, increasing groundwater production and bringing on new sources like the Perth Seawater Desalination Plant in Kwinana.

Where do you propose to build the plant?
We propose to build the plant at Taranto Rd, north of Binningup. The Water Corporation purchased a 44-hectare block adjoining the eastern boundary of its existing coast front land on Taranto Rd.  Further work is underway to determine the exact position and layout of the plant. But having so much area to plan around means much of the environmentally sensitive habitat can be left intact or revegetated.

Why can't the plant be built in the Kemerton Industrial Park?
The best place for a desalination plant is by the ocean.

Millions of litres of seawater will be pumped into the plant, and approximately half of that returned to the ocean as concentrated discharge. It is important to minimise the distance this water travels to reduce the energy required, the environmental impact, the disruption caused by construction of pipelines and the cost. View the 'Comparison of Sites in the Kemerton Industrial Park WorleyParsons Report, August 2007 below for more information on why the Kemerton Industrial Park has been ruled out as a site option.

What environmental impacts is the plant likely to have?
The plant will meet stringent environmental protection criteria and will be designed to have minimal impact on the surrounding environment. The Water Corporation has implemented the most intensive ocean monitoring program of any desalination plant in the world at its Kwinana desalination plant. A thorough monitoring program will also be used at the Southern Seawater Desalination Plant.

The site is situated near open ocean which has a high energy swell, ensuring the concentrated seawater discharge mixes very quickly with the surrounding seawater. The discharge pipeline will be designed and located to ensure the discharge is rapidly mixed to background salinity levels. The offshore discharge and intake pipelines will be located to minimise any effects on sensitive marine habitats, such as seagrasses and reef systems.

The main issues on land are associated with wetlands, clearing of vegetation and fauna that are supported by that vegetation. Impacts will largely be avoided by routing pipes around wetlands and using cleared areas wherever practical for pipelines and the plant. 

Further work is being done to ensure we can best manage all possible environmental impacts and the community will be kept informed throughout this process.

What environmental approvals are required before the plant can proceed?
The project needs to gain environmental approval from both state and federal governments before construction can commence.

The state Environmental Protection Authority set the second highest level of environmental assessment for the project. This means that the Water Corporation was required to produce a Public Environmental Review (PER) document. This document draws on 39 independent environmental studies. The document outlines the potential environmental issues which could arise from the proposal to build the desalination plant and maps out strategies to minimise and mitigate these issues.
The PER was released to the public on Monday 21 April 2008 and the EPA invited submissions on the document. Submissions closed Monday 16 June 2008.

The Water Corporation will then respond to these submissions and the EPA will consider all this information before providing a report and recommendation to the State Minister for Environment. The Minister will then make the final decision as to the environmental acceptability of the project and the conditions that should apply, if it is to go ahead.

The Federal Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts will also look at the proposal and assess the environmental impacts that relate to listed and threatened species that are protected under the Federal Environment EPBC Act. These include whales, ring-tail possums and black cockatoos. The Federal Minister for Environment will make a decision on the environmental acceptability of the project and may apply conditions, if the project is to go ahead.

Will there be any impact on whales and dolphins during the construction period?
The Water Corporation shares the concern the local community holds for the safety of the whales and dolphins that migrate through the area. This is why we have addressed the issue in the Public Environmental Review document and set out the strategies we will use to ensure minimal impact on whales and dolphins during construction and operation. We have engaged a whale expert to undertake further studies and will continue to develop plans to ensure the safety of cetaceans in the area.

During construction will have human monitors in the air, at sea and on the land who will raise the alert if whales or dolphins are spotted in the exclusion zone. If these animals are spotted, construction will cease. An ocean watch vessel will be deployed before any blasting or pile driving activities to look for cetaceans. The knowledge of the local community will also be used and locals will be encouraged to report dolphin and whale sitings to the Water Corporation.
We have developed a Blasting Management Plan and a Construction Environmental Management Framework to set out the ways that dolphins and whales will be protected during construction.

Will access to the beach be restricted by the plant?
There will be no restriction to normal beach access or use and all pipelines will be buried and dunes restored once the plant is complete.

As the design of the plant hasn't been chosen yet, we are 100 per cent sure whether the beach will have to be closed during construction to lay the pipes into the ocean. But we are planning for the worst case scenario which is why we have advised the community that the beach may be closed for a maximum of 18 months. The area to be closed will be a stretch of 400m in front of the site. The town beaches at Binningup and Myalup will not be closed.

The reason behind any beach closure is public safety. There is likely to be trenches and heavy machinery on the beach and we need to be able to assure the safety of all locals and tourists.

Will it affect surfing, boating or fishing in the area?
There will be minimal impact on surfing, boating, fishing and other ocean activities once the plant is operating. These activities will be able to continue as normal around the plant. The offshore intake structure will not be visible from the surface and marker buoys will be used to show its location. There will be some restrictions during construction and every effort will be made to ensure this is for the shortest possible time period and the restricted area limited.  The Water Corporation will communicate any restrictions well in advance of any activity. 

The first plant at Kwinana is new and unproven. What if it doesn't work?
The Kwinana plant is very successful and is delivering around 17 per cent of the water to the Integrated Water Supply Scheme, the State's largest single water source. Desalination is a proven technology worldwide. The Corporation is ahead of all other states in its understanding of desalination technology and its investigations on the Kwinana plant have been long and thorough.

There are more than 14,000 desalination plants delivering drinking water worldwide.

Along with the 45 gigalitre Kwinana plant, which has been successfully operating since 2006, the Corporation operates a number of reverse osmosis plants in country WA. It also owns and operates the Kwinana Water Reclamation Plant – the biggest water recycling plant of its kind in WA.  The reclamation plant reduces industry demand for scheme water by up to six gigalitres a year, which is equivalent to about two per cent of Perth’s total scheme water use.

The Southern Seawater Desalination Plant will be similar to the plant in Kwinana, using technologies proven in local conditions.

Why didn't the Water Corporation just make the first desalination plant bigger?
There is no space on the site.

When will construction begin and end?
Construction is expected to begin in 2009 with the new plant operating in 2011.

The Water Corporation has written extensive management plans to ensure that impacts from dust and noise during construction are minimal.
Construction will only take place during daylight hours, unless there are special circumstances (i.e a continuous concrete pour).

A dust management plan has been written to minimise and control dust during construction. Strategies include using water cannons to dampen potentially dusty areas and vehicles transporting soils off-site will be covered.

A number of steps have been taken in the design phase to ensure that visual impacts and impacts from noise, dust and lighting from an operational plant will be minimal.

The Water Corporation has monitored background noise in and around Binningup.  This information as well as 'actual' noise data from Perth Seawater Desalination Plant has been modelled and predicts that operational noise from the plant will comply with regulations. On top of this, additional noise controls to muffle the sound will be investigated.
 

The plant will not be visible from the beach as it will be behind the dunes and screened by vegetation.

What will the plant and pump station look like?
Planning for the plant is at a stage whereby a generic design has been provided in the Development Application.  The final design is subject to the final Alliance being chosen in November 2008.  The Corporation has committed to a plant that will be unnoticeable from the beach, with buildings being designed to blend in with the surrounding environment.  The Corporation will work with the community during the plant design to help minimise any potential impacts. 

Will the plant provide opportunities for employment?
It is expected that over the 24-month construction period there will be times when up to 500 people will be employed on the site. Plant operation will require approximately 20 full time employees. Where appropriate, staff, contractors and materials will be sourced from the local area.

Businesses, including south-west businesses, have the opportunity to supply goods and services for the project through the Industry Capability Network of WA's Project Connect. The two Alliances competing for the tender have listed their supply opportunities on the website http://www.projectconnect.com.au/ where businesses can currently register an expression of interest.

Where will work staff be accommodated?
A number of options are being explored.  The issue of accommodation for the construction workforce will be addressed with the construction contractors prior to the start of construction.

How much water will the plant produce?
The plant will produce around 50 gigalitres per year, with the potential to expand to 100 gigalitres per year.

What further approvals are required before the plant can proceed?
The project cannot proceed without environmental approvals from both the state and federal government.

The Water Corporation has also submitted Development Applications to the Shire of Harvey for the plant site, the tank site and the pipelines. The Corporation requires planning approval from both the Shire and the WA Planning Commission.

Under our own legislation, the Water Corporation also has to notify affected landholders through the Preliminaries to Works process. Letters to all affected and adjacent landholders have been sent and a one month comment period ends on 25 July 2008.

How can I have a say from now on?
The public comment period on the state PER has now closed. However appeals can be made to the appeals convenor on the EPA’s Bulletin when released.
The public will also have the opportunity to comment on the Federal environmental approvals process which will see the Water Corporation produce another Public Environmental Review which sets out how we will manage impacts on endangered species. The Corporation will inform the community of this opportunity when timelines are known.

You can also ask questions and make suggestions directly to the Water Corporation through our dedicated desal hotline on 1800 810 075, email address desalination@watercorporation.com.au or by writing to PO Box 100, Leederville WA 6902.