Images Source: SA Water
Three large underwater pipelines are now in place off the coast of Penneshaw marking a significant milestone in the delivery of a new desalination plant in Kangaroo Island.
The new Penneshaw plant will supplement the Middle River Reservoir and the smaller existing nearby facility with an additional two megaliters a day of desalinated water.
This new plant in Penneshaw will work alongside the pre-existing desalination facility nearby and Middle River Water Treatment Plant to increase the security of Kangaroo Island’s drinking water supply for future generations.
Desalination is the process that removes dissolved salts and impurities from a water source, such as groundwater or in this case seawater, and turns it into fresh water.
The desalination plants use a technology called reverse osmosis, which remove up to 99% of the impurities and salt in the water.
Construction for the pipes has been done on the mainland locally with SA-based company Maritime Constructions, before making the journey to Penneshaw in Kingscote.
The 200-metre-long submerged pipelines include two intake pipes that will draw in seawater for treatment into clean, safe drinking water at the new, two million-litre-per-day-capacity desalination plant near Hog Bay Road.
Saline concentrate from the desalination process will return to the ocean via a third outfall pipe, in accordance with strict environmental guidelines.
SA Water’s Senior Manager of Capital Delivery Peter Seltsikas said the new underwater infrastructure is similar to the existing smaller desalination plant on Desal Drive.
“The complex process of getting the high-density polyethylene pipelines in place was quite the effort, with crews taking around five hours to safely tow the infrastructure from the Kingscote jetty and into position using a large barge vessel,” said Peter.
“We also needed to time these works with the unpredictability of weather, with the crews requiring around three days of ideal tidal conditions to safely transport and sink the pipes to the ocean floor.
“We have the expertise required to successfully construct and operate a desalination plant like this without impact to the surrounding impact environment, having successfully operated the existing facility in Penneshaw for almost 25 years,” said Peter.
“With this important milestone ticked off, we’re now working to complete the remaining marine works and connect the pipes ahead of the plant producing first water from the middle of this year.”
Construction and testing of more than 50 km of underground water trunk main spanning from Penneshaw to the utility’s existing Middle River water supply network has been completed by SA Water.
A water trunk main is the pipeline connecting the new plant to the Middle River-Kingscote network. This truck main will hold sufficient capacity to develop new reticulation networks.
SA Water operated twelve desalination plants all across SA including seawater desalination plants at Lonsdale in Adelaide and the existing plant at Penneshaw.
Once the plant is operational the pipeline will deliver drinking water to people living in American River, Baudin Beach, Island Beach, and Sapphiretown.
The plant is estimated to produce as much as 80% of the Island’s current water requirements.
“Stretching a total of 50 kilometres, the ductile iron cement-lined pipeline is among the largest underground trunk main constructions we’ve completed in recent years,” Peter said.
“Having completed the extensive design, construction and testing required for a main of this size and scale, to now have the entire length of underground pipe ready for action is a positive achievement.”
This new desalination plant in Penneshaw will work alongside the pre-existing desalination facility nearby and Middle River Water Treatment Plant to increase the security of Kangaroo Island’s drinking water supply for future generations.
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