Background
The proposed desalination plant secures Victoria’s future water supply by creating drinking water from a drought proof source.
In this section
Victoria has experienced the worst drought and lowest stream flows in history.
After a decade with two major droughts (1997/98 and 2002/03) and no stream-flows higher than the long term average, Melbourne’s storage reserves have fallen from near 100% capacity in 1996 to 31.7% capacity in September 2009.
Within 10 years, climate change, continued population growth and drought could result in shortfalls of drinking water of approximately 100 billion litres per year for Melbourne alone (Central Region Sustainable Water Strategy, DSE).
The Government’s Water Plan combines a range of projects to save, recycle, distribute and create water. By introducing supply from more than one source, including rainfall independent sources such as desalination, the new projects provide security through diversity of water supply.
To meet the medium term water supply needs of Melbourne, the desalination project would have to come online as soon as practical. The desalination plant is due to transfer water by the end of 2011.