Kangaroo Island’s new desalination plant is up and running in a significant boost to the region’s long-term drinking water security and bushfire resilience.

Following years of planning and construction, the two-megalitre-per-day capacity facility is now producing safe and clean drinking water for approximately 700 local homes and businesses connecting to mains water for the first time.

Drawing seawater through two large underwater pipelines, the plant uses reverse osmosis to remove all salt and impurities before it is cleaned and treated to a high-quality drinking water standard.

The drinking water supply is then pumped through a new fifty-kilometre-long underground trunk main to supply the townships of American River, Baudin Beach, Island Beach and Sapphiretown with safe and clean mains water for the first time.

To increase the region’s resilience in future bushfire events, SA Water has strategically installed 420 new fireplugs to provide easy access to water for emergency services.

The new plant can also supply the existing drinking water network around Kingscote in the event of unforeseen issues at the utility’s Middle River Water Treatment Plant, as was experienced in the extreme bushfire event of 2019/20.

Significant fire damage to the plant rendered it inoperable for almost two weeks, with local residents asked to conserve non-essential water use during this time to maintain the Island’s water supplies.

The plant is the third seawater desalination plant operated by SA Water across South Australia, with plans progressing for the construction of a new plant in Port Lincoln by mid-2026.

Mawson MP Leon Bignell says the project will deliver long term benefits for residents and visitors to the Island as well as giving firefighters extra water resources during bushfires. 

“The desal plant will give local businesses greater water security and will open up tourism to a new premium sector when The Cliffs Golf Course opens in just over 12 months’ time.”