Eglinton Groundwater Scheme
Project goal:
Deliver a 4.9GL per year groundwater source to complement WA's next major water source.
Status:
In progress
Delivery Date:
First water production in 2028.
What’s happening?
The Eglinton Groundwater Scheme is being co-developed with the Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant.
In an innovative new approach, we will combine the Eglinton Groundwater Scheme with the Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant, by mixing fresh desalinated water with treated naturally mineralised groundwater. This will reduce the amount of treatment required to produce clean and safe drinking water, resulting in significant construction and ongoing operational cost savings.
What is the scope of the project?
The Eglinton Groundwater Scheme will comprise a new Eglinton Groundwater Treatment Plant, three abstraction and salt water interface monitoring bore, plus around 6.3 kilometres of pipeline connecting the bores to the plant.
The Eglinton Groundwater Treatment Plant will be located within the Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant within the Alkimos Water Precinct. The three bore sites are nearby:
- Within the Alkimos Water Precinct near Graceful Boulevard,
- North of the Alkimos Water Precinct, and
- North-east of Alkimos closer to Wanneroo Road.
See map below showing the bore locations:
When will this work take place?
Two of the bores have already been drilled, reducing disruption to the community during construction of the Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant and Eglinton Groundwater Treatment Plant.
Drilling of the third bore, located just to the north of Alkimos Water Precinct, is expected to start in late 2024 and be completed in 2025.
Similarly, we are planning to construct the pipeline from the bores to the plant in stages to align with other constructions projects in the area to minimise disruption to the local area.
More information will be shared with the community closer to construction starting.
Eglinton Groundwater Treatment Plant will b constructed at the same time as the Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant.
Licence to take water
We have been working closely with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) to apply for a new licence to draw water from the Superficial Swan for public water supply use.
As per DWER requirements, a public notice advertising the 5C Licence application was published in the West Australian newspaper on Friday, 27 September 2024. The public notice was also advertised on the digital platforms for Perth Now Wanneroo and Yanchep News Online.
The notice period has now ended
Working with the community
We understand construction can cause disruption to the local community and we appreciate your patience while we complete this essential work. Two of the bores and the majority of the pipeline will be constructed in pre-developed areas, minimising impacts to local residents and businesses.
Potential impacts from the construction of the pipelines include traffic detours, noise, vibration, dust, and visual impacts from temporary fencing. Where disruption is unavoidable, we will keep the community informed about what to expect and work with you to minimise impacts wherever possible.
To learn more about the Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant including how we are protecting the environment and protecting Aboriginal Heritage - click here
Water produced through the seawater desalination process, reverse osmosis, removes (almost) all of the salt and minerals from the water. The fresh water produced then requires minerals to be added before it is fluoridated and chlorinated, to be in line with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. Mixing the desalinated water with filtered groundwater has operational and financial benefits because it reduces the amount of minerals that need to be added to the water.
For more information about drinking water quality - click here.
Water Corporation's Gnangara groundwater abstraction allocation is being reduced by 30 billion litres per year from mid-2028. This reduction, along with our growing population and reduced rainfall mean we are investing in climate-resilient water sources like the Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant.
The Eglinton Groundwater Scheme is strategically located where the highly permeable coastal limestone aquifer produces high quality groundwater with minimum abstraction impacts. The capacity of Eglinton Groundwater Scheme will be 4.9 billion litres year.
Our comprehensive groundwater investigations and modelling assessments indicate that the Eglinton Groundwater Scheme's impact on the Superficial aquifer will be minimal and localised to the bore locations. The modelling indicates that groundwater dependent ecosystems and other users of the Superficial aquifer will be minimal and contained within the borefield area.
The hydrogeological assessments indicate that groundwater dependent ecosystems and other users of the Superficial aquifer are unlikely to be impacted in the short or longer term. Ongoing groundwater monitoring in the area by the Department of Water Environmental Regulation (DWER) and from a bespoke Saltwater Interface Monitoring bore close to the borefield will ensure that any impacts are appropriately investigated.
Kate Lee - Community Engagement Specialist