Sydney's new water factory

Sunday Telegraph
Sunday 19/4/2009 Page: 14

THESE are the first pictures of Sydney's new "water factory" - the controversial $1.9 billion desalination plant at Kurnell now in its final stages of construction. Four years after former NSW premier Bob Carr announced plans to build it to drought-proof Sydney, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the project is on track to begin operating this summer. At full capacity, it will supply 15% of Sydney's water supplies each year.

Water will be sucked from the sea and cleansed of salt by a process that is so thorough the result will be too pure to be piped straight into the existing system. As a result, the operation will include another step where vital elements and minerals are added back into the finished product so it matches the existing water supply. The desalination plant, dubbed Sydney's water factory by workers there, is now 80% complete. Testing is due to begin in June.

It comprises a maze of underground and deep-sea tunnels connected to a filtration plant. The final links are an 18km pipeline which will connect the plant to Sydney's water supply at Erskineville, which is one-third built, and an 8km deep-sea pipe, construction of which is due to begin this week. Drilling operations have begun off a giant barge located 300m off the coast, in the Tasman Sea, where the water intake and outtake pipes will be laid.

Helicopters have become a regular sight around the 47m platform, with airlifts the only means to get workers, food and equipment on to the structure. The pipes will be connected to a filtration building where seawater will be pumped at high pressure through some 36,000 membranes which remove the salt by reverse-osmosis. The membranes are contained within 4000 long white rods, which are stacked from the floor to the ceiling inside a building which is large enough to cover two football fields.

Regarded as the nerve centre of the operation, the building has been constructed out of thick slabs of concrete to protect from the elements the millions of dollars worth of hi-tech equipment it houses. The thick walls are also designed to shield workers from the high-pitched screech the high-pressure pumps emit when operating.

Much of the equipment has been sourced from overseas, with around 17 countries contributing key parts to the plant. The greatest challenge will be stopping corrosion, with the highest grade of stainless steel used to try to guard against rust. The seawater concentrate left at the end of the process will be released back into the ocean. And despite it being twice as salty as normal seawater, scientists do not believe its release back to sea will have any significant impact on marine life.

The filtration plant has been built to produce 250 million litres of water a year, although enough room has been left on the site to double capacity if required. On completion, more than 4000 workers employed by Bluewater, which is building the plant and the sea tunnels, and the Water Delivery Alliance will have contributed to the project. But just 12 employees will work on-site once it's operational.

Bluewater project director John Barraclough described the construction of the plant as one of the State's greatest engineering feats in terms of water supply. "The days of digging a hole in the ground and sticking in a pipe have changed," he said. "The technology alone is worth around $300 million - that's not the pipes and buildings, just the parts."

Pending good weather and no obstacles in the laying of pipes, the plant will be turned on this summer no matter how much water is in our dams - currently 60% full after good rain. The plant will operate at full capacity for two years. Beyond that, the State Government will determine its operation levels.

Critics say the money would be better spent on recycling and reducing water consumption. But Sydney Water data reveals that per capita water consumption is now below 330 litres a person a day down from a peak of 550 litres a person a day. Sydney residents use less water today that they did in 1950.


You're Paying
Sydney Water customers will pay for the $1.9 billion plant through higher water bills. The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal increased water and sewerage bills for Sydney households last year by about $125 a year. By 2012, the average bill is expected to rise by $245. Just under half that amount will cover the cost of the plant. The plant's hi-tech valves and pumps alone will cost about $300 million. When the plant is operating at capacity, the cost of running it will be about 70c for every 1000 litres of treated water. There is a boom in desalination plant construction around Australia, with plants also planned for the Gold Coast, Adelaide and Perth.

Wind Power
A 67-Turbine windfarm being built to power the desalination plant is set to be commissioned around June. The State Government has signed a 20-year contract for the windfarm, at Bungendore near Queanbeyan. When complete, Capital Windfarm will be the largest of its kind in NSW. Funded by Babcock and Brown Wind Partners and Babcock and Brown Power, the windfarm contract allows excess energy to be sold to other users. Critics say the plant will rely on coal-fired electricity on non-windy days, but Sydney Water claims the contract for the farm is designed to ensure more than enough energy to cover days when there is less wind.

Opponents
Residents near the construction of the pipeline are seeking compensation for the chaos and environmental damage caused by the building of the pipeline. Citing noise, vibration and dust issues, several families along the route are understood to be lodging formal compensation claims. The State Government last year promised to foot the bill for any damage done to homes as a result of the plant's construction. Building of the filtration plant has attracted strong opposition from environmental groups and Kurnell residents, who claim it is another eyesore alongside the Caltex oil refinery and Continental Carbon plant.