Consumption cut will delay next Queensland desalination plant
Desalination is probably the only viable option for the next major source of water in southeast Queensland, Australia. However, at current consumption rates, this may not be before 2027, natural resources minister Stephen Robertson said on 15 July 2010.Currently the average water consumption in southeast Queensland is 154 L/d," said the minister. "If we keep average consumption below 200 L/d, it is likely that the next new supply source can be pushed back from 2021-2022 to 2027. If daily consumption remains well below Target 200, this could be pushed back even further to 2032 and beyond."
The Southeast Queensland Water Strategy, which was published at the same time, says that desalination will underpin the state's future water security, with priority sites already reserved at Lytton and Marcoola.
"Over time, community confidence in purified recycled water schemes may permit the development of additional schemes and the further utilisation of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme," says the plan.