Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant Investigations

Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment Approval Update

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment has recently determined that Alkimos Water Desalination Plant is a controlled action and therefore will require assessment and approval under the EPBC act.

For further information on this decision visit http://epbcnotices.environment.gov.au/referralslist/ - Reference 2019/8453.

Environmental Protection Authority Approval Update

Water Corporation has also received confirmation from the Environmental Protection Authority that Alkimos Water Desalination Plant will be required to be assessed under the EP Act.

All interested parties have the opportunity to comment during the public comment. More information on the referral and how to provide comment is available here http://www.epa.wa.gov.au/proposal-search(External link), referral number 2210.

We will provide further confirmation on the timing of the comment period over the coming months.

The Water Corporation referred the Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant proposal under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The proposal is now open for comment on the Department of Environment and Energy website for a period of 10 business days.

You can read our referral here: http://epbcnotices.environment.gov.au/publicnoticesreferrals. Reference 2019/8453

Public comment will close on 14 August 2019.

For information on how to make a public comment on a referral, please see the EPBC Notices Homepage

The Environmental Protection Authority has announced it will assess the Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant proposal at the level of Public Environmental Review.

More information on the determination can be found at the EPA webpage.

Following more than 18 months of feasibility investigations, supported by stakeholder and community engagement, the Water Corporation has referred two desalination plant proposals to the Federal Department of Environment and Energy (EPBC Act) and the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority for assessment.

The proposals: Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant and Perth Seawater Desalination Plant 2 (in Kwinana), are part of long term planning to secure Perth’s water supply, with current planning indicating a new water source may be needed for Perth within the next 5-10 years.

To learn more about the proposals and stay updated as assessments progress, including period of public comment, visit: https://yoursay.watercorporation.com.au/future-perth-desalination-plants.

Completion of offshore investigations

Water Corporation has completed its Alkimos offshore investigations and will now demobilise the marine jack-up barge from the Alkimos area.

The Corporation thanks the Alkimos community and marine stakeholders for their patience during the work, which is being considered as part of feasibility investigations for a seawater desalination plant at Alkimos.

The barge will commence its journey to Henderson when conditions are favourable, depending on conditions this could take upwards of 3 weeks.

Wastewater Treatment Plant Ocean Outfall maintenance

In coming weeks the Corporation will complete maintenance work on the Alkimos Wastewater Treatment Plant ocean outfall.

The work is planned for completion over 2-3 days, pending weather conditions and will involve divers and a vessel being positioned above the pipeline. Flags and required signage will be in place to advise other vessels to the work.

Operation of the wastewater treatment plant will not be interrupted during the work.

For more information phone 9420 3488 or email community.engagement@watercorporation.com.au.

As part of our long term planning to secure Perth’s water supply, we are nearing the completion of feasibility investigations, and will soon seek environmental approvals, for a seawater desalination plant at Alkimos.

Thank you to the hundreds of people who attended community events in 2018 or provided feedback online. We value your input, it has allowed us to address community interests and concerns in our planning.

The Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant is one of a number of options being investigated to secure Perth’s water supply for the future, which also includes investigating a second seawater desalination plant in Kwinana. While we may not need a new water source for five to ten years, communicating with you along the way is important to us.

You can find out more about our investigations and share your feedback with us by completing a short survey. By completing the feedback survey and registering your details with us, you can stay informed as the project progresses.

Residents and visitors to Alkimos Beach may notice a large offshore drilling barge as it mobilises to the area on November 12 .

The barge will drill small core sample holes to collect information on the seafloor and geology beneath the sea bed. This information is important to selecting the most appropriate location of and construction method of offshore parts of the potential plant.

The barge is expected to be in the area off the Alkimos coast until late December. Work will be completed seven days a week (weather depending).

Vessels are advised to maintain a safe distance of no less than 25 metres from the drilling rig. A marine exclusion zone will be in place during the work. A map of the work area and further information is available here.

Access to Alkimos Beach for fishing, swimming or recreating will not be impacted. A seismic survey of the area is planned to be complete by mid-November.

A marine exclusion zone will remain off the coast off Alkimos until the end of October while seismic surveys are completed.

The work, which started in late September, has involved specialised vessels transiting the area to collect information about the seabed, which is being collected as part of investigations underway in relation to a possible future Alkimos seawater desalination plant.

Weather delays have affected the completion of the work.

Once the survey is complete, a core sample drilling program will begin. A large offshore drilling rig might be seen from the coastline. This work is planned to take about five weeks from early / mid-November. An exclusion zone will be in place for the area surrounding the rig, delineated by four yellow buoys.

Water Corporation appreciates the patience of the community, including boaters and fishers, while we complete the work.