Northern Water aims to deliver a reliable and sustainable new commercial water source to meet the growing needs of a broad range of mining, defence, hydrogen and pastoral industries. It will unlock economic growth in industries and regions that are crucial to achieving net-zero targets and will reduce reliance on precious water resources like the Great Artesian Basin and the River Murray.

This would be achieved by construction of a seawater desalination plant drawing water from the Spencer Gulf, connected by up to a 600km transfer pipeline to northern South Australia.

The desalination plant

The desalination plant would be constructed in two stages – each providing a capacity of 130ML – to a total capacity of 260ML per day (enough water to fill around 100 Olympic-sized swimming pools). This provides maximum flexibility to meet fluctuating demand over time and can be scaled up as demand increases.

The plant would include:

• a seawater intake system to draw water from the Spencer Gulf using intake pipes, screens, and filtration systems to remove large debris and safeguard marine life
• pre-treatment to filter out finer particles, debris, and suspended solids, before the desalination process begins
• reverse osmosis: High-pressure storage vessels equipped with semi-permeable membranes would utilise reverse osmosis to remove salt from the water, resulting in the production of potable water
• water storage tanks to store water before distribution through the pipeline network
• outfall pipes to return concentrated seawater back into the ocean
• renewable energy integration including electricity sub-stations and transmission lines to power the plant with renewable energy sources
• access and parking to support transportation and logistics including roads, vehicle parking, and loading areas.

Northern Water short listed four potential locations for the desalination plant. Consistent with the outcomes of a multi-criteria analysis and aligned with what many community members said, further studies for Northern Water will now focus on the Cape Hardy site option. The final site selection will depend on commercial viability and outcomes of the environmental impact assessment process which is expected late in 2025.

The transfer pipeline network

To transfer the large volumes of potable water generated by the desalination plant, a pipeline network will connect the new desalination plant to its customers. The main transfer pipeline (approximately 600km in length), will link Eastern Eyre Peninsula, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Woomera, Carapateena, Roxby Downs, Pimba, and Olympic Dam.

Supporting infrastructure

The desalination plant and the transfer pipeline will also require supporting infrastructure such as pumping stations, large storage facilities, flow regulation valves, control facilities, and staff amenities.  Additional road connections, telecommunications lines, and electricity infrastructure will also be needed.

The plant, the pipeline network and supporting infrastructure are currently being designed. Detailed plans will be available for the public to view as part of the engagement opportunities.

Project timeline

Next Steps

The next steps for the project include:

• engagement and procurement activities with contractors who may design, build, operate and maintain the plant and pipeline in order to better understand project design and costings
• more detailed evaluation of the overall environmental, social and economic impact of the project
• project approvals including submission of a development application under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act (SA) and a referral under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (Cwth) that includes the preparation on an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
• progression of cultural heritage survey and native title negotiations
• land access negotiations for the plant and pipeline
• ongoing engagement with stakeholders and the community to ensure risks and opportunities are properly understood and addressed
• other activities required to provide the government with a clear understanding of the risks and opportunities associated with the project