Consider the following scenario. In a few years Melbourne (or Sydney or Adelaide or Brisbane) is in the grip of a drought. It’s happened before and we all know it will happen again. Dam levels are dropping dramatically. The water utilities respond to these conditions with the imposition of water restrictions. These gradually increase in severity and impact on our everyday lives – particularly those of us who live in houses and love gardening. Ultimately no garden watering or car washing is allowed and even time in the shower is limited. Everyone is complaining “why don’t they do something?”
Well actually something has already been done.
Large seawater desalination plants have been built in all mainland Australian state capitals and can now supply water during the worst droughts, providing water security to our cities for the first time. These plants, ranging from 15% of the city’s total demand in Sydney, 30% in Melbourne to 50% in Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth, make a massive difference.