What is desalination? The NSW Government has proposed seawater
desalination as a solution to our water shortage problems.
‘Desalination’ is a process whereby sea water is made
‘drinkable’. It works by removing dissolved minerals (including,
but not limited to salt) from seawater, salty water or treated
wastewater. Why is it happening? According to the NSW
Government, the ongoing drought has shown that an alternative
source of fresh ‘drinking’ water needs to be implemented to
accommodate Australia’s dry periods. The desalination plant will
be able to deliver 500 million litres of drinking water a day;
that’s water for a third of Sydneysiders. The government
believes that this is the most viable and reliable method to
quench the thirst of Sydneysiders during drought periods. It
also provides assurance that measures and research will be
undertaken to ensure that the plant will cause minimal harm to
our environment and marine ecosystem. Desalination is generally
done in one of two ways: 1. Distillation: this is w