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Approximate location of Wonthaggi desal plant in yellow (above).
Kilcunda Beach
Water Plant's Land Grab 25/1/08
According to the World Health Organisation in their Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality (Third Edition Incorporating The First and Second Addenda Volume 1 2008 page 111. Section 6.4 Desalination Systems Refer to Appendix B for extract WHO in Section 6.4 Desalinisation Systems; "chemicals, such as boron and bromide, that are more abundant in seawater" and with Disinfection By Products (DBPs) "Other chemical issues, such as control of additives," DBPs ....greater quantities may be involved in desalinisation. Due to the presence of bromide in seawater, the distribution of DBPs will likely be dominated by brominated organics...".
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) are currently in the process of reviewing the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. NHMRC have not proposed any changes to the levels of Boron in the Draft 2009 Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) Guidelines as 4mg/l. The Draft 2009 ADWG guideline proposed for Boron (small amendment) only partially address issues regarding lower levels of boron stating: “Although boron is an essential trace element for plants, certain plants (e.g. citrus fruit, stone fruit, some nut trees) are sensitive to the toxic effects of boron if irrigation water has concentrations higher than about 0.5 mg/L (Lazarova and Bahri 2005). WHO (2006) indicates that this concentration is below the level that can be achieved by practical treatment methods. Application of waste water containing 0.8–1.3 mg/L to young orange trees for three years was well tolerated (Reboll et al 2000)".
The Draft 2009 ADWG Boron fact sheet overlooks impact of emerging technologies where levels of Boron found in drinking water from desalination plants (using reverse osmosis) are critical. Levels of 4mg/l of Boron are fatal when directly applied to many plant species in agriculture industry. The quote above from Draft 2009 ADWG overlooks the myriad of crops & ornamental plants that are sensitive to concentrations of boron less than 4 mg/l Refer Oct 2005 Draft Australian National Guidelines water Recycling pages 277 Table A 7.3 & 275 Table A7.4 See Appendix C for full list of plant tolerance to boron.
Levels of Boron set in these 2008 National Guidelines Water Recycled has recognise this issue & set max concentrations at 0.9 mg/l. Moreover, this critical Boron level is recognised by SA Water at the Bolivar Waste Water Recycling Plant. SA Water has set the levels of Boron in their recycled water at less than 1mg/l to supply local market gardens at Virginia.
The Draft 2009 draft does not refer “specifically” to WHO studies on health affects of Boron (done as early as 2003) which then recommend 0.5 mg/l (provisional) Refer page 10 “Boron in Drinking-water- Background document for development of Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality WHO/SDE/WSH/03.04/54. And in a later WHO 2005 document “Nutrients in Drinking Water, Sanitation and Health Protection and the Human Environment” Section 12 on ’HEALTH RISKS FROM DRINKING DEMINERALISED WATER’ states on Page 149 “After evaluating the available health, organoleptic, and other information, the team recommended that demineralised water ---contain boron (0.5 mg/L).
Recommend BORON: For 2009 ADWG adopt the 2008 WHO Drinking Water Guidelines 0.5mg/L (provisional).
The levels of bromate set in the 2004 ADWG not to exceed 0.02 mg/L. has not been amended in the Draft 2009 ADWG. The WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality THIRD EDITION INCORPORATING THE FIRST AND SECOND ADDENDA Volume 1 Chemical fact sheets 12.15 recommends a much lower Provisional guideline of 0.01 mg/litre for Bromate.
The 2004 ADWG does not take into account the levels of Bromate /Brominated compounds now being observed through (a) Desalination process (b) Increasing quantities of disinfectant chemicals now required to treat polluted water needed or drinking purposes.
Recommend: BROMATE 2009 ADWG adopt the 2008 WHO drinking water guidelines. Based on health considerations, the concentration of bromate in drinking water should be 0.01mg/L (provisional) *note precedent set as Draft 2009 AGWG set for Arsenic accepted the 2008 WHO Drinking Water Guidelines provisional level for Arsenic.
Neither Australian 2004 ADWG nor Draft 2009 ADWG set any guideline values for this chemical. Levels of bromine in water are critical in the desalination process (reverse osmosis) for production of drinking water. Disinfection by-products (DBPs), such as trihalomethanes (THM’s) are formed when chlorine and bromine interact with natural organic materials (NOM’s) in water, such as in chlorinated drinking water.
The WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality THIRD EDITION INCORPORATING THE FIRST AND SECOND ADDENDA Volume 1 2008 page Section 6.4 does state “Due to the presence of bromide in seawater, the distribution of DBPs will likely be dominated by brominated organic" but the current 2008 WHO guidelines do not recommended a value. However in an earlier WHO 2005 document “Nutrients in Drinking Water, Sanitation and Health Protection and the Human Environment” Section 12 on ’HEALTH RISKS FROM DRINKING DEMINERALISED WATER’ sets a value for Bromine on Page 149 “After evaluating the available health, organoleptic, and other information, the team recommended that demineralised water --- contain level bromine (0.01 mg/L).
However the 2008 Australian National Guidelines Water Recycling have addressed this issue and set Bromine values for Maximum Concentrations 0.28 mg/l Guidelines 7.0 mg/l (refer pages 34,110)
Recommend: BROMINE That the 2009 ADWG recognise that levels of Bromine in drinking water need to be addressed (Desalination) and adopt the values set in 2008 Australian National Guidelines Water Recycling of Maximum Concentrations 0.28mg/l & Guideline 7mg/l
Neither WHO 2008 drinking Water Guidelines, Australian 2004 AWWG or Draft 2009 ADWG set any guideline values for this chemical. Levels of bromide in water are critical in the disinfection process for production of suitable drinking water free of Disinfectant By Products DBP’s).
Bromide can be reintroduced to drinking water from the desalination process. So one of the important factors to consider would be the amounts of brominated organic by-products that could be formed from pre-disinfection of salt waters containing bromide, and from disinfection /blending waters Reference paper “IMPACT OF BROMIDE ON DISINFECTION BYPRODUCT FORMATION WHEN BLENDING DESALINATED WATER WITH SURFACE WATER Author David Cook, Mary Drikas, Australian Water Quality & Con Pelekani and Geoff Kilmore Centre SA Water Corporation.
This study was done by SA Water at Happy Valley Reservoir. “ The Results showed that the impact of bromide on DBP formation in blended water will depend on selected water quality parameters, particularly DOC and bromide concentration, with DOC concentration ultimately dependent upon the extent of treatment used for the non-desalinated blending water." Furthermore their findings of concentrations of bromide up to 0.65mg/L were acceptable. This level of bromide is within the Maximum Concentrations of 0.57 mg/l and a Guideline of 7mg/l, set by the 2008 Australian National Guidelines Water Recycling on pages 34,110
Recommend: BROMIDE That the 2009 ADWG recognise (take into account) that levels of Bromide in drinking water need to be addressed because of new technologies being adopted by the water Industry (Reverse Osmosis) to recycle water for drinking purposes and adopt the values set in 2008 Australian National Guidelines for Water Recycling for Bromide Maximum Concentrations 0.28 mg/l & Guideline 7mg/l
For queries and more information about the following text contact;
email; info@yourwateryoursay.org for further details
or visit www.yourwateryoursay.org
c/o Kilcunda Post Office, Kilcunda, Vic, 3995
Complain to; Minister for Planning, Mr. Justin Madden, Level 17, 8 Nicholson St, Melbourne, 3000
justin.madden@parliament.vic.gov.au Fax: 9637 8921
Very large quantities of sea water (11,000 litres per second or 16 Olympic size swimming pools every hour) are pumped into a factory-like complex.
The water is mixed with chemicals in a pre-treatment process. This kills any animal life and removes any solid bits which will clog up the next stage of filters.
It is then pushed through a series of exceptionally fine membranes (this process is called reverse osmosis) which filters out everything except the water.
Chlorine: 3 million litres
Caustic soda: 150,000 litres
Hydrochloric acid: 120,000 litres
Ferric chloride: 45,000 litres
(per year based on Perth's desalination plant).
Some of these chemicals are discharged back into the sea. Some form carcinogens and heavy metals that contaminate the food chain.
A plant that produces 150 billion litres of water a year:-
needs approximately 40 hectares. This is roughly the same as 400 house blocks.
The building would be five stories or 18 metres high.
The solid animal waste and chemicals from the pre-treatment part of the process is trucked away from the factory. This waste goes to a registered landfill site (a tip).
A 150 billion litres desalination plant produces 30,000 tons of solid waste yearly, that's about 2000 truck loads.
Most of the salt is pumped back into the sea as brine at a rate of 5500 litres per second. This water is about twice as salty as normal seawater and contains other toxic substances.
Very few studies have been done worldwide
Things that could possibly happen include -
A reduction on the amount of food at the bottom of the food chain as more than 275 000 small sea creatures are sucked into the plant every second.
The brine discharge may make conditions better for pest species to flourish and could cause massive environmental damage.
Underwater noise from the huge pumps may upset dolphins and migrating whales.
Heavy metals and carcinogens entering the food chain, ultimately being a human health concern.
Desalinisation plants are huge ugly factories. This is why they are usually built in industrial areas. They need new big electricity lines, pipelines and pumping stations that will stretch for many kilometres across the rural countryside.
Earthworks for the buildings, pipelines and pumping stations to urban areas can cause serious environmental problems.
The reverse osmosis process is highly energy intensive.
A 150 billion litre desalinisation plant uses 900 GWh of electricity a year.
This is nearly 2 percent of Victoria's current total enregy use, or enough to power 170,000 homes!
Brown coal used for electricity generation accounts for almost half (49%) of the Primary energy source used in Victoria. Other sources are; gas 19%, oil 30% & renewables 2% (Energy in Australia 2006). Brown coal generated electricity is particularly Greenhouse intensive. In 2004 Australia's emission of greenhouse gases was 28.2 tonnes per person. This is the highest in the world.
We need to cut our use of coal powered electricty, not increase it.
Increased greenhouse gases = less rainfall - desalinisation = increased greenhouse gases = even less rainfall = even more desalinisation.
Desalinisation therefore doesn't solve the problems of climate change but rather adds to it.
No, the Green Energy in Victoria has already been bought by families and businesses wanting to make a difference to Climate Change. There is just none left for the Government to buy power to a desalinisation plant.
No-one knows for sure but estimates range from 3 to 10 times the cost of water now.
An average family will probably pay an extra $900 per year for water.
Because factories and businesses will be paying more for their water, the cost of everyday items and services will rise as well.
This means the price of everything from a haircut to a beer is likely to increase significantly.
The desalinisation plant and the water it produces would be a Public-Private Partnership (as with Citylink), that is, part owned by a foreign multinational company.
Even when the dams fill, water will still be expensive. This is because the Government still has to pay the owners of the factory the same amount of money whether of not the water is needed or used.
An Environment Effects Statement is a detailed report which describes the likely environmental effects which will be caused by development. Any large infrastructure development such as desalinisation plant should be put under scrutiny by an EES. An EES summarises the proposal, any feasible alternatives and expected environmental effects.
Catch storm water falling on urban areas and use it efficiently.
Install rainwater tanks on all suitable buildings across the state. A water tank on 60% of Melbourne homes can collect the same volume of water that the desalinisation plant and will produce it at 20% of the environmental cost.
Introduce recycled water. Properly treated recycled water can be used everywhere in the home, for industry and outdoor use. London and Singapore both rely on using recycled water for drinking. Even a domestic grey water system can save thousands of litres
Fix all leaking pipes, taps and fixtures across the State.
Encourage water saving in homes and businesses.
Use the knowledge and expertise we have in Australia to become leaders in water use and conservation. Not just follow a growing world trend which jeopardises the environment on which humanity depends.
Powlett River, Gippsland, west of the Desal plant.