Calls for desal plant to produce non-potable water ...

Excerpt from ABC News:

Calls for desal plant to produce drinking water

3 October 2008

The Murray-Darling Association says BHP Billiton's proposed desalination plant near Whyalla in South Australia would be more energy efficient if it only produced non-potable water.

Communities around the proposed plant near Whyalla have been calling for the desalination plant to create water of drinking quality.

But the Murray-Darling Association's general manager, Ray Najar, says most of the water from the plant would be used for the proposed expansion of the Olympic Dam mine and it would make more sense to use non-potable water.

"The amount of energy they would use to produce the water quality they need would be much lower than producing potable water," he said.

Mr Najar says it would be more energy efficient to set up smaller plants to further process the water, if drinking water is needed.

The association has reaffirmed its support for the desalination plant, saying it will ease the burden on the River Murray and the Great Artesian Basin.

See - ABC News - Calls for desal plant to produce drinking water.