South West Water appoint company to deliver desalination plant in Cornwall
Last year saw record levels of drought in the South West, putting pressure on the region’s water resources
South West Water (SWW) have appointed a company to help deliver the first desalination plant in Cornwall.
Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions will work with SWW to manufacture and supply the proposed desalination plant in Par.
Last year saw record levels of drought in the South West, putting pressure on the region’s water resources.
David Harris, Drought and Resilience Director for SWW, said: "The extreme weather conditions we faced last year means we are taking proactive steps to develop climate-independent sources of water. This will help us to become less reliant on rainfall and more resilient against the impacts of climate change in the future.
"We are working closely with our regulators and other key stakeholders to ensure we are delivering this project in the most responsible way and we are pleased to be working closely with Veolia to build and deliver the proposed desalination for the South West."
The desalination process will involve extracting seawater from St Austell Bay to receive initial treatment at the desalination plant.
It will then be transferred to Cornwall’s biggest water treatment works at Restormel for a secondary phase of treatment before being circulated for consumption to around 300,000 people in Cornwall.
The desalination plant will provide SWW with an additional, long-term, water source capable of producing up to 20 million litres of water per day – approximately 40% of the current water demand for Cornwall.
Ben Harding, Regional Vice President – UK & Ireland, Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions, said: "Our work with South West Water highlights our continued leadership and proven expertise with desalination technology, worldwide.
"We are excited to provide our end-to-end portfolio of solutions that deliver on South West Water's stringent quality requirements, timescales, and challenges to regenerate water supplies whilst minimising energy consumption.
"As a global leader in ecological transition, Veolia puts sustainability at the forefront and looks forward to helping increase access to clean water and protecting the environment."
SWW say they explored potential sites across Cornwall’s coastline with considerations for any possible impact to the public, wildlife and the environment, and determined that Par is the most suitable location for desalination.
The company is undertaking a programme of public engagement on the project prior to the submission of a planning application.