Someone had to pay for South Australia's de-salination plant, as water supply and quality from the River Murray continues to fall, and it turns out to be the user - current users making a contribution to the future, so it seems. In the 2009 South Australian State Budget, announced on June 4, record $2.1 billion will be provided over four years for a range of initiatives to secure South Australia's water supplies.
Adelaide's desalination plant, stormwater harvesting, treated wastewater recycling and infrastructure upgrades all received money from the 2009 Budget. Work to protect and improve the health of the River Murray will also receive almost $260 million.
More than $830 million will be spent in 2009-10 on the construction of the desalination plant to ensure the first water produced from the plant is supplied in December 2010. Capacity will reach 50 gigalitres a year by mid-2011 and up to 100 gigalitres a year by the end of 2012.
The State Government is committed to using renewable energy to power the plant and the contract to supply that energy will be finalised soon. Stormwater reuse will receive $52.3 million in the next year and $29 million will be available over two years for rainwater harvesting and water efficiency rebates.
A further $165 million will be used in the next year to continue wastewater reuse upgrades on the Glenelg-to-Adelaide-Parklands recycled water project and at Christies Beach, Aldinga and Glenelg wastewater treatment plants. Funding for the River Murray will be channelled through SA's contribution to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority to continue dredging the Murray Mouth, salt interception schemes and emergency drought responses.
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