The Western Australian Government has released a study which assesses the opportunities for desalinating saline or brackish groundwater reserves in the state’s Wheatbelt region.

 

The independent engineering study revealed that large scale water supplies from desalination of groundwater were not currently feasible, but there may be opportunities for future local scale schemes with improved technology.

 

“This study has found that there are logistical and technological challenges to the treatment and use of major saline water resources in the dryland agricultural areas.  It is unlikely that the major ‘sea-water equivalent’ resources can be exploited economically for use within the agricultural areas, and it is even less likely that exporting this water out of the region will be economically viable,” the report found.

 

“Pre-treatment and desalination costs are a major component of the cost of water production from brackish or saline groundwater,” State Water Minister Bill Marmion said.

 


The report suggests the folliwng 

  • investigating new groundwater sources
  • promoting recycled water use
  • furthering water efficiency programs for schools, households, local government and industry
  • groundwater replenishment trials
  • better catchment management.

The full study can be found here