desalination+industry+expert

You have expertise in understanding how desalination plants operate and their commercial potential. Now you need to get a mental picture of the key issues that might impact on this goal. Remember to include links to websites you have used.

Back to ecological issue page.

**Key Question #1: Can desalination provide sufficient water for Victoria?**

Information from websites
 * The desalination plant is expected to produce 150GL of water per year
 * It will need 90 megawatts of energy annually to do so
 * The Victorian government has promised to add an equal amount of renewable energy, probably in the form of wind turbines. If the water does end up having a greenhouse cost
 * Victorians used up 5788GL of water from 2004 till 2005
 * "Estimated water production is 150 billion litres (150 gigalitres) of fresh water per year, approximately a third of metropolitan Melbourne's needs based on 2007 consumption levelsEstimated water production is 150 billion litres (150 gigalitres) of fresh water per year, approximately a third of metropolitan Melbourne's needs based on 2007 consumption levels"
 * "Those working on the feasibility study have indicated to interstate experts that Melbourne would need a plant producing more than 300 megalitres of fresh water a day".

[[http://www.countcarbon.com/blog/?p=12 http://www.greenlivingpedia.org/Victorian_desalination_plant#Controversy_about_the_location http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/push-for-huge-desalination-plant/2007/04/06/1175366479355.html From 2004 till 2005 Victoria used 5788 GL of water and the desalination plant is predicted to be able to produce 150 GL of fresh water from sea water. Therefore the desalination plant will not be able to supply sufficient water for Vitoria without the help of rainfall and other water sources.

**Key Question #2: What are the pros and cons of desalinated water?** Pros Cons
 * The desalination plant is expected to produce 150GL of water per year
 * improves fish habitat
 * Desalinated water is treated to meet Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and health department requirements, making it safe to drink.
 * climate independent water source
 * It will need 90 megawatts of energy annually to do so
 * increase in greenhouse gas emissions
 * Government makes people pay extra $100 per week on top of the 1.7 billion taxpayer dollars, for their quick fix.
 * Doesn't prompt households and industry to cut down on their wastefulness with drinking water.
 * Will not force government/Industry to act on recycling storm water, and this will gradually slip off the radar.

http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/node/51308 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_pros_and_cons_of_desalination

**Key Question #3: What are the commercial implications of a desalination plant in Victoria?** http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/06/19/1955928.htm http://gmarkets.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/desalination-plant-at-wonthaggi-taxpayers-200m-a-year-for-the-purpose-of-buying-environmentally-dirty-water-that-it-doesnt-need/ http://www.theage.com.au/environment/cost-to-offset-desal-plants-carbon-footprint-hits-42m-20080615-2qzw.html http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/node/51308 http://www.tec.org.au/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=271 http://www.ourwater.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/2331/Fast_Facts_-_Desal__and__EES_-_June_2008.pdf
 * People in houses may have to move or have their property affected due to the water pipelines that the desalination plant will need in order to transfer the fresh water.
 * There is a possibility that water prices may go up due to the cost of the desalination plant as that’s what happened to Sydney
 * Taxes will go up in order to pay for the desalination plant.
 * "OFFSETTING the Victorian desalination plant's contribution to climate change will add $42 million a year to its electricity bill"
 * "If Victoria’s natural water catchments return to anything approaching their historical storages, then the taxpayer could be paying for a huge volume of expensive, desalinated water that is surplus to requirements."
 * "This means that the Victorian taxpayer could be handcuffed to payments of $500 million or more every year for the purpose of buying environmentally dirty water that it doesn’t need."
 * "Water bills in Melbourne will double over the next five years with the decision by the Victorian Government to build a desalination plant and a pipeline over the Great Dividing Range."

Response The commercial implications of the desalination plant are that people may have to move out of their houses or have their property affected however there will be Government compensation. There is also chance that the price of water may go up due to the price of the desalination plant. Another commercial implication is that taxes will most likely go up as well due to the cost of the plant.

 Focusing your Evidence: an Action Plan
By examining the proposition of using desalination as a source of water in Victoria from an industry expert’s perspective, you have become an expert on the issues that relate to desalination. Your Action Plan should be a clear statement about what should be done to ensure that the water is provided safely, efficiently with minimal impact on the environment. It should be thoughtful and succinct.