Update
The Sydney Desalination Plant at Kurnell is expected to be switched on tomorrow (Sunday) following an extended dry spell which has seen water levels drop to 60 percent capacity.
Minister for Water and Utilities, Don Harwin and NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the plant would come in to action to protect Sydney’s water security unless there was an unexpected break in the drought.
“Under the Metropolitan Water Plan, when dam levels fall below 60 per cent, the Sydney Desalination Plant is switched on to boost supplies,” Mr Harwin said.
“Once the plant gets up to full capacity it will supply up to 15 percent of Sydney’s water needs, but just as importantly everyone should be mindful of not wasting water in this extended dry spell which is impacting everyone across the state.”
Earlier
The desalination plant at Kurnell is just days away from being switched on to boost rapidly falling water supplies.
Sydney dam storage was at 60.3 per cent on Tuesday, with Woronora Dam falling to 51.4 per cent.
The trigger for the desalination plant being restarted is total dam storage falling to 60 per cent.
This could see the desalination plant switched on before or over the Australia Day weekend.
Opened in 2010, the facility has never operated beyond maintenance needs.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said, due to contractual arrangements, once the plant began operating it would stay on for 14 months.
Sydney Water says the plant will be able to produce drinking water within three to four months of being switched on and will take six to eight months from switch-on to reach maximum output.
Households will pay up to $35-a-year extra on their water bills to cover the plant’s operations.
The facility was badly damaged by the 2015 Kurnell torndao, and repairs were completed only late last year.
