Australia

NSW water situation ‘critical’ amid warning towns could run dry by November – Australia

Parts of regional NSW could run out of water as early as November as the state faces a drought of “unprecedented proportions”.

Projections from the state’s river operator and bulk water supplier WaterNSW have revealed the worst-case scenario for NSW if there’s no significant rainfall or government intervention.

Under the worst-case scenario, the first towns to lose water supply will be Dubbo, Cobar, Nyngan and Narromine in November when the Macquarie River is forecast to run dry.

Prime Minister’s ‘Crucial’ Visit At Sydney’s Desalination Plant – Australia

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, as part of his official state visit to Australia, visited the Sydney Desalination Plant yesterday morning.

Accompanied by his high-powered delegation, Prime Minister Bainimarama said the visit to the plant was crucial because it would assist the Government in setting up similar desalination plants, particularly in the maritime islands such as the Lau Group and Yasawa.

The Fijian Government aims to allocate resources for sustained maintenance and construction of new water treatment plants, reservoirs and reticulation systems, rural water schemes, development of groundwater sources, setting up of desalination plants in the maritime region, and distribution of water tanks in rural areas.

Macarthur’s water woes worsen as Cataract Dam is taken offline – Australia

Cataract Dam is one of Macarthur’s main sources for water but the ongoing drought has left its dwindling supply unsuitable for drinking.

Dry conditions have worried residents, local drought organisations and politicians across the region for several months.

Cataract Dam was taken offline on Friday as its level had dropped to 27.1 per cent.

Sydney dam levels drop below 50 per cent for first time in 12 years – Sydney

Sydney’s dam storage levels have dipped below 50 per cent for the first time in 12 years with no end in sight to drought conditions.

Greater Sydney’s dam capacity this week fell to 49.7 per cent, according to Water NSW, which is 0.4 per cent down from the previous week.

That means dam levels are below 50 per cent for the first time since 2007. They initially dropped under the halfway mark in 2004.

Sydney’s desalination plant set to expand as drought continues – Australia

The New South Wales government has begun preliminary planning to boost output at Sydney’s desalination plant, in a bid to secure the city’s water supply as dam levels continue to drop.

The Kurnell plant, which can currently supply drinking water for up to 1.5 million people in Sydney, returned to operation in January for the second time since 2012.

Planning starts to enable Kurnell desalination plant to double output – Australia

The state government has begun “preliminary planning” to expand the Kurnell desalination plant as Sydney dam levels continue to drop at record pace.

The plant is producing 250 million litres of water a day at present, but was constructed in such a way that capacity can be scaled up to 500 million litres per day.

Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey said the state was experiencing the worst drought on record and the desalination plant wad playing a significant role in maintaining Sydney’s water supply.

Sydney told to expect water restrictions ‘soon’ as dam levels dive – Sydney

The Berejiklian government will review planned water restrictions for Sydney with the possibility that curbs on use will be tougher than presently detailed in the city’s Metropolitan Water Plan.

Cabinet is expected to review the water plans next Monday to determine its response to plunging reservoir levels as the dry spell intensifies.

Most of NSW has had very much below average rainfall for the past two years, and Sydney’s April-May period is on track to be its second driest in 160 years, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Desalination plant restart ahead of schedule as dam levels slide – Sydney

The restart of Sydney’s desalination plant is proceeding faster than expected, helping to slow the drawdown of the city’s reservoirs amid the ongoing drought.

The $2.3 billion plant, which resumed operations in January, has been supplying water to Sydney’s network for about six weeks. Production is now between 300 and 400 million litres per week.

“In line with our operating licence, [the plant] has until September to reach its maximum capacity of producing 250 million litres per day of water – or about 15 per cent of Sydney’s drinking water requirements,” Keith Davies, the facility’s chief executive, said.

Sydney desal plant restart ahead of schedule as dam levels continue slide – Sydney

The restart of Sydney’s desalination plant is proceeding faster than expected, helping to slow the drawdown of the city’s reservoirs amid the ongoing drought.

The $2.3 billion plant, which resumed operations in January, has been supplying water to Sydney’s network for about six weeks. Production is now between 300 and 400 million litres per week.

“In line with our operating licence, [the plant] has until September to reach its maximum capacity of producing 250 million litres per day of water – or about 15 per cent of Sydney’s drinking water requirements,” Keith Davies, the facility’s chief executive, said.

Solar Powered Desalination Offers Hope of a Global Shift in Agriculture – Australia

Australia’s ability to reliably produce food for an ever-increasing population is a growing concern amid droughts and increasingly volatile climate conditions.

Australian agriculture practices rely heavily on groundwater, even though this water source is becoming increasingly saline at many locations, making it impractical to use.

To combat this issue and make fresh water readily available to the farming sector irrespective of the quality of the local groundwater supply, UNSW’s Global Water Institute (GWI) is developing an innovative, solar-powered version of a desalination technology called Capacitive Deionization (CDI).

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