Partnering with the Australian Water Association, it was a valuable opportunity to hear from leading experts and decision-makers in water management on the Complexities of Self-Supply Water in Western Australia. 

The Minister for Water, Dave Kelly, and Daniel Ferguson from DWER (Department of Water and Environmental Regulation) gave an overview of water availability, water management and new initiatives. At the same time, a panel of experts addressed the need for and use of self-supply water for Indigenous, agricultural, community and environmental purposes. Pat Donovan, CEO Water Corporation, and ACCIONA Agua’s Water Business and Operations Director, Cliff Stone, also addressed the breakfast.

“While the event provided the audience valuable insights on self-supply water in Western Australia, the initial addresses from state government representatives were focused on highlighting the reality and impact of climate warming, as well as the importance of considering sustainability in everything we do,” said Cliff. “State renewable energy and 2035 net-zero emission targets were also featured, which aligns with ACCIONA’s approach to building a better planet.”

Panel Members

• Carol Martin, Gooljak Boodja
• Professor Mark Lund, Edith Cowan University
• Gavin Harris, City of Bunbury, and
• Dr Richard George, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

Bid Manager Jamie Falzon said the breakfast served as an ideal pre-cursor event to the imminent Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant procurement. “ACCIONA Construction has partnered with Agua and Jacobs to present the Water Corporation with an outstanding pedigree of Desalination Design and Construction expertise,” said Jamie. “Most of the senior members of the bid team joined together to attend the breakfast and leverage the opportunity to engage with industry colleagues and clients in the lead-up to the commencement of the procurement phase in early September.”

The Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant will be Perth’s third desal and lends itself well to the ACCIONA values in that the client also intends to construct a wind farm to offset the carbon footprint of both existing desal plants as well as the new plant. The Stage One 50 GL/annum plant will sit adjacent to the existing Alkimos WWTP and include a 2.5km intake tunnel and a 4km outfall, with significant marine works to install the outfall diffusers and intake manifolds. With in-ground works for the tunnel launching shafts plus significant mechanical and electrical components, this project will see opportunities for all of the ACCIONA ‘family’ in Australia to bring together our expertise in delivering complex engineering solutions that help us design a better planet.

Complexities of Self-Supply Water in Western Australia

In March 2022, the WA Government highlighted its concerns about Perth's water sources. Perth’s two seawater desalination plants account for 45% of drinking water scheme supply, and soon around 8% will be recycled/groundwater replenishment water.

As a way forward, the government has allocated funds for a third desalination plant and subsequently released a strategy to rebalance Perth and Mandurah’s precious groundwater resources. The strategy includes the draft Gnangara Groundwater Allocation Plan, and a proposal to align garden bore sprinkler rosters with the scheme sprinkler roster, which combined will help save 70 billion litres of water per year.

We all know water is crucial for day-to-day life and is available through reticulated schemes or through self-supply, either in a regulated or unregulated system.

The breakfast explored:

• The availability of self-supply water
• The water allocation process and rules governing it
• Water planning
• Sustainable management of the resource, and
• Innovation in securing self-supply water.