A new desalinated drinking water supply for Marree in South Australia’s Far North is another step closer to delivery. Construction by SA Water is now underway on the community’s desalination plant.
The project’s major construction partner, John Holland Guidera O’Connor joint venture, has commenced on-ground concreting and earthworks at the Fourth Street site. This is ahead of the containerised desalination plant’s arrival in the coming months.
Marree is one of three outback towns receiving upgrades to their SA Water drinking supply in the utility’s current four-year regulatory period. Construction of similar desalination plants at Oodnadatta and Marla is also in progress.
SA Water’s Senior Manager of Infrastructure, Planning and Strategy, Dr Daniel Hoefel said Marree’s plant will have the capacity to supply up to 126,000 litres of safe, clean drinking water each day.
“Like other desalination plants in SA, Marree’s new water treatment facility will use a process called reverse osmosis,” Hoefel said. “It will remove the salt and impurities in the groundwater sourced from the Great Artesian Basin. The end result is a clean, safe, and climate-independent source of tap water to be piped to local homes and businesses. This water will be available for use in their kitchens, bathrooms, laundries and gardens.”
South Australian made for a South Australian outback water supply
Hoefel pointed out that, being fabricated in Adelaide, the plant is constructed inside a steel shipping container. It is designed to be protected from the harsh summer heat commonly experienced in remote areas.
“Our current focus of construction efforts is on building the on-site water storage tank and evaporation basin,” he said. “The plant itself is to be delivered to Maree later this year, ahead of a standard connection and testing process. Kicking off the on-ground work for a project of this size and scope is an important milestone. We look forward to delivering Marree’s new tap water supply by early 2024.”
SA Water’s existing water network in Marree is designated as non-drinking. Appropriate precautions and advice remain in place. Until upgrades are complete, residents will continue to source their own drinking water from private rainwater tanks, water carting, bottled products and localised desalination units.
For more information about the project, visit watertalks.sawater.com.au.
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