Future water source planning in Great Southern Region
Project goal:
Investigate what water sources are needed to maintain a reliable drinking water supply to the Lower Great Southern area into the future.
Status:
In planning
Delivery Date:
2030
Want to take part in our community consultation group?
What's happening?
In response to climate change impacts and forecast increases in demand on our drinking water supplies, we are currently investigating what water sources may be needed to maintain a reliable drinking water supply via the Lower Great Southern Towns Water Supply Scheme (LGSTWSS).
These include:
- new groundwater sources in the vicinity of Albany;
- local seawater desalination.
Where does Albany currently get its water?
The LGSTWSS supplies drinking water to Albany, Mount Barker, Kendenup and Narrikup and Denmark (as required) from local groundwater sources on the South Coast and surface water from Angove River east of Albany.
How far have you progressed with your investigations?
Over the last 24 months we have completed:
- marine investigations
- environmental assessments
- land and marine environmental surveys
- stakeholder briefings and meetings
Following recent announcements, we are no longer progressing investigations into a potential desalination plant at King George Sound in Albany.
We are still in the planning phase of the project and will continue investigating seawater desalination and groundwater options. We will provide further updates in coming weeks.
When will you decide what the future water source/s will be?
We will continue to engage with key stakeholders, including government agencies and the community, before and after making a decision on the next source for the LGSTWSS. A decision is planned for late 2025 following a detailed analysis of data and results.
We are committed to keeping the local community updated as we investigate the viability of sources and promote opportunities for community feedback.
Project timeline
| Date | Activity/Milestone |
|---|---|
| Late 2021 |
|
|
2022 |
|
| Late 2022 - early 2023 |
|
| 2023 |
|
| 2024 |
|
| Early 2025 | Following recent announcements we will be investigating alternative options outside of King George Sound. |
| May 2025 | Albany Community Consultation Group opens for applications |
| 2030 | Complete delivery of new source/s. |
23 January 2025
Following recent announcements, we are no longer progressing investigations into a potential desalination plant at King George Sound in Albany.
We are still in the planning phase of the project will continue investigating seawater desalination and groundwater options. We will provide further updates in coming weeks.
27 April 2024
The project team attended the Albany Port Open Day on the 27th of April 2024 to share the latest on our new water source investigations with the local community.
It was great to take part in such a well-run event. Seeing the scale of the operations and learning about the inner workings of the port was fascinating!
We spoke to over 100 local community members on the day and had really valuable conversations, not only about our investigations, but also about our existing water source and the challenges we're facing with the effects of climate change and forecast increases in demand.
Thanks to everyone who came down and we look forward to seeing you again when we are next in Albany.
15 February 2024
In mid-February 2024, the project team took six members of the Wagyl Kaip Southern Noongar Aboriginal Corporation Cultural Advisory Committee on a half-day tour of the proposed desalination sites.
The purpose of the tour was for the project team to understand the cultural values of the proposed desalination sites and incorporate any feedback from Wagyl Kaip SNAC CAC into our decision making.
We will now progress with further surveys to support our ongoing investigations.
28 June 2023
Water Corporation’s authorised consultants, Advisian, and a commercial boat operator will begin investigations in Frenchman Bay, Princess Royal Harbour and off the South Coast in late June 2023.
The work will take three days. Exact work dates will depend on weather conditions and availability of contractors and their vessels. Further sampling and data collection will take place on a quarterly basis for up to 24 months.
27 May 2023
The project team hosted two drop-in sessions in Albany on Friday, 26 May and Saturday, 27 May 2023.
We had many interesting conversations and received useful feedback that will help inform our investigation pathway. Thank you to those who joined us to learn more about our new water source investigations.
We are now progressing with further planning for the investigations, and will keep the community updated as we progress. Sign up for updates via the link on the webpage to hear the latest project news.
29 July 2022
We’re pleased to advise fieldwork for our Aboriginal Heritage survey in the Manypeaks, Two Peoples Bay, Big Grove, Little Grove and Goode Beach areas has now been completed. This work is part of an investigation into groundwater and seawater desalination as future water source options in the areas.
Thank you to those landowners for facilitating access to private properties.
16 December 2021
We’re pleased to advise fieldwork for our environmental survey in the Manypeaks, Two Peoples Bay, Torndirrup, Big Grove, Little Grove and Goode Beach areas has now been completed. This work is part of an investigation into groundwater and seawater desalination as future water source options in the areas.
Thank you to those landowners for facilitating access to private properties. The survey area was large – extending much further than the actual area required for any infrastructure – to ensure we could capture accurate environmental data and to put any results into context. The consultants will now take the next few months to sort and analyse all the data collected, and prepare findings.
Next, we are preparing to undertake Aboriginal heritage surveys in the same areas with Traditional Owners, in the new year. We will write to affected landowners regarding this.
Happy holidays!
We continue to respond proactively to the ongoing challenges of climate change by investigating potential new water sources for the LGSTWSS.
These include:
- new groundwater sources;
- local seawater desalination.
Before we determine the location of a preferred water source, we consider the following factors at a minimum:
water quality
- drying climate patterns and rainfall / streamflow data
- environmental considerations, including impact of drawing water on local ecosystems and construction impacts on existing flora and fauna habitats
- heritage and Native Title rights
- community feedback
- impact on private landowners
- water treatment requirements
- amount of water we expect to draw from the source and;
- cost of supplying water to our customers including building the required infrastructure.
We are still in the early stages with a decision on preferred option/s expected in 2025, following a detailed review of data and results.
We will engage with DWER, other government agencies, stakeholders and the community before making decisions on future sources for the region.
Information about seawater desalination
Seawater Intake Pipeline - A seawater intake pipeline is an important part of a desalination plant. Its purpose is to transport seawater from the ocean to the desalination plant for processing.
Brine Outfall Pipeline / Brine Diffuser - A brine outfall pipeline is used to return the concentrated seawater (brine) back to the ocean after it has been desalinated. The brine is typically about twice the saltiness of seawater.
Diffuser - A diffuser is a device at the end of an outfall that returns brine to the ocean. Diffusers help mix and dilute the brine with seawater. The diffuser helps to quickly reduce the brine's salinity to match the surrounding seawater generally within tens of metres for small seawater desalination plants, such as proposed for Albany.
Integration pipeline – refers to a pipeline transferring the drinking water from the desalination plant to the existing water supply network.
Help shape the future of your water supply by joining the Albany Community Consultation Group (CCG).
The Albany CCG is a place for community members and Water Corporation to talk about future water plans for the Lower Great Southern Region.
The CCG will:
- Help obtain the views of members on the various options available to Water Corporation.
- Suggest ways to engage with the local community.
- Offer advice to Water Corporation on how issues or concerns may be addressed.
The group will meet every 6-8 weeks from July 2025 until the end of 2026.
How to Apply for CCG Membership:
Please note: If you are completing the expression of interest form on a mobile device, we recommend using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader App to fill out the document. You may experience difficulties completing some form fields without the App.
- Read the Terms of Reference and Code of Conduct
- Download and complete the Expression of Interest form
- Submit the completed form via email to community.engagement@watercorporation.com.au
Applications close on Sunday, 8 June 2025 and successful applicants will be contacted following this, ahead of the first meeting.
Contact Us
Felicity Wood - Community Engagement Specialist