Construction of the second phase of the Southern Seawater Desalination Plant (SSDP) is running to schedule with water expected to be produced for the integrated scheme by December 2012.

 

Inspecting the site at Binningup , Water Minister Bill Marmion said he was pleased to see the progress that had been made.

 

"The current plant is operating at full capacity, already producing more than 20 billion litres of water since it was officially opened in September last year," Mr Marmion said.

 

"When the second stage reaches full production most of our population will be receiving about half of their drinking water supply from the Indian Ocean- independent of rainfall.

 

"This is essential for the long term because of the diminishing supplies from our dams and the need to further protect the shallow groundwater aquifers beneath Perth."

 

The Minister said more than 300 workers were now on-site each day working on stage two and it was expected that within the next six weeks these numbers would increase to approximately 500, as the fast-tracked, $450million second stage construction reached its peak.

 

When stage two is complete, the SSDP will produce 100 billion litres of water for the Integrated Water Supply Scheme (IWSS) per year. The IWSS supplies drinking water to Perth, Mandurah, the Goldfields and towns along the way to Kalgoorlie-Boulder.