Latest news with #water supply
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Massive new reservoir is 'nationally significant' project for planners
Planning permission for a massive new reservoir will be decided by the Government, not by a local authority, Thames Water has announced. The reservoir, which would be south west of Abingdon, would produce up to 270 million litres of water per day, providing additional water supplies to 15 million people. It is expected to nearly be as big as Gatwick Airport and has faced repeated local opposition. READ MORE: Judicial review hearing for reservoir near Abingdon In January, Chancellor Rachel Reeves backed plans for the new reservoir, and now the utility company has announced that Environment Secretary, Steve Reed, directed that the South East Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO) project be recognised as "nationally significant". Leonie Dubois, left, Thames Water's head of engagementUnder the Planning Act 2008, Thames Water will need to seek planning approval at national level, submitting an application for a Development Consent Order in 2026. The announcement comes as the plan for the reservoir is about to be the subject of a judicial review. GARD's (Group Against Reservoir Development) sister company Saferwaters, and countryside charity CPRE Oxfordshire, launched the bid for the judicial review, and Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) will make the case for the reservoir. The hearing is expected to take place on Wednesday and Thursday. Embankment tests for the new reservoirNevil Muncaster, Strategic Water Resources Director, Thames Water said: 'While we've always known our proposed reservoir is of national importance, the Government's recognition of its significance brings us one step closer to securing water supply for 15 million people across the South East. 'The right planning process and finance model is fundamental to securing our water future, delivering a cost-effective project for customers and safeguarding the environment. "Although this project has achieved national significance, local communities remain at the heart of our plans. We're committed to engaging with local people throughout the process, which is why I'd encourage everyone to attend our information events this summer. READ MORE: Fraudsters steal from motorists at car park "These sessions provide the perfect opportunity to learn more about our proposals, understand the benefits and to speak to the team." GARD spokesman Derek Stork said the latest Thames Water announcement was "not news": He added: "The SESRO Project has been a potential 'Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project' since the process of assessing these large water infrastructure projects was set up by government regulators in 2020. "To progress beyond a potential NSIP, the project must pass through a Development Consent Order (DCO) process, for SESRO this will take place in 2026/27. As the DCO has not happened yet, Thames Water cannot announce that anything has ' been accepted'. The 'local democracy' that has been bypassed in this case stems from the decision by Steve Reed to nod SESRO through to the DCO stage (again not news as it happened in August 2024) ignoring calls for a public inquiry." Mr Stork added: "It is this bypassing of local democracy which we are contesting at the High Court next week. Thames Water's latest announcement is to try and cloud the 'ether' around the court hearing." Water Minister Emma Hardy said: 'South East England is projected to face water shortages by 2030. That is why the Government is intervening in the public interest to speed up the planning process and unblock new reservoirs. 'This Government will secure our water supply for future generations while protecting the environment and unlocking the building of thousands of homes as part of the Plan for Change.' Didcot and Wantage MP Olly Glover said: "Many of my constituents have significant concerns about the impact of such a large reservoir on the environment, increased flood risk, and whether a reservoir is the most effective way to secure the region's water supply. This is why I have backed calls for a full public inquiry. "The water minister has postponed my meeting with her until after the upcoming court hearing about whether there should be a judicial review into the decision not to hold a public inquiry. I will be raising the significant local concerns and opposition to this project with her in person as soon as possible.'
ABC News
14-06-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Wingham still relying on temporary water solution after Mid North Coast floods
In the wake of record-breaking floods on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, a community is still relying on a vulnerable temporary water supply after a major pipeline was destroyed at the height of the disaster. The force of the floodwater in late May tore through the pipeline that supplies water to Wingham, connecting its reservoirs with the region's Bootawa water supply dam near Taree. MidCoast Council director of infrastructure and engineering services Rob Scott said the pipe broke where it crossed the deepest part of the Manning River. "Some of that riverbank lost 20 metres or more of earth. That left one of our water mains almost completely unsupported on that southern side," he said. Mr Scott said the council had created a temporary solution, using an alternative pipeline to pump water from a reservoir near Taree to Wingham's reservoir. He said a permanent fix was urgently needed because there was no other backup system. He said if the backup pipeline broke the water supply to residents in Wingham, Taree and towns to the north, including Harrington and Coopernook, would be "significantly impacted" due to their connected system of reservoirs. "We don't know how long it would take to repair … and from then on, whatever is left in the reservoirs is all that we would have," Mr Scott said. "Within a day the high areas would start to have low water pressure … by the end of the second and third days some people would be without water, and that would progressively spread as the reservoirs depleted. "For example … Wingham's reservoir has about 10 megalitres at any point in time, and the daily use is 2 megalitres." Mr Scott said it took days for council crews to secure the temporary solution and in the meantime, emergency measures were taken to support residents. "During that time we used water carting and water bottles being delivered … water was also carted to Wingham Hospital," he said. Wingham resident Colleen Williams said her water was cut off for four days. "There were access points where we could drive into town … and collect bottled water," she said. "There were a few times where we did have to go to the Tigers [Rugby League Club] and boil the water for basin baths." The MidCoast Council has resolved to spend $4.1 million to urgently replace the damaged section of pipeline. Councillors supported a recommendation to fast-track the project, with the goal of completing it in six months. Mr Scott said the new infrastructure would be more secure during floods. "The existing pipeline was built in the 1960s and trenched into the bottom of the Manning River," he said. "New technology means we can literally drill a hole through the rock below the riverbed … by doing that we can avoid the risk of the pipeline being damaged by flood debris or impacted by riverbank erosion. Engineers Australia College of Environmental Engineering chair Kala Senathirajah said there was a considerable amount of aging water infrastructure across the country. "A lot the assets have been put in post World War II and are now quite old," she said. "It's getting to a stage where there needs to be a lot of assets renewed or replaced at the same time and due to funding and resource constraints, we will need to stagger that. "When we have floods or other natural disasters, they [the aging water infrastructure] are more vulnerable … to the situation that has happened at Wingham." Mr Scott said other councils with aging water infrastructure should be aware of the possible issues. "There's been several similar cases to ours over the years, where [pipe] river crossings have been lost during flood events, and then the council or water authority is faced with the expensive prospect of having to rush a project through to replace it," he said. "The problem is it's also high cost, so it's whether you can really balance risk with costs."
Zawya
11-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Saudi's Bahri begins commercial operations at 3 floating desalination barges
The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri) has started commercial operations at its three floating desalination barges project. The prolonged extreme weather conditions in the Red Sea in the latter part of 2024 led to delays in transporting and mooring the third barge at its permanent location before starting up operations, the company said in a statement to the Saudi Stock Exchange. The full financial impact of the project will be reflected in its results starting the second quarter of 2025, the statement added. In December 2019, Bahri signed a 20-year agreement, valued at 760 million Saudi riyals ($202.60 million), with state-owned Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) to supply desalinated water from its floating stations to the authority's desalination tanks. Each station will have a capacity of 50,000 cubic meters per day (m3/day) with a total capacity of 150,000 m3/day. The project was expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2020, the company disclosed in its 2019 press release. In December 2023, Bahri announced that the barges are undergoing testing and commissioning, with commercial operation expected to commence during the second half of 2024. (Editing by Anoop Menon) (
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Blue pipes on 278 in Hilton Head? Here's what's happening at the site near Crazy Crab
As drivers come on and off the U.S. 278 bridge that connects Hilton Head to the mainland, they might wonder what the yellow-vested men at a construction site near the Crazy Crab are doing with bulldozers, excavators, and stacks of huge blue pipes. Is the island getting a head start on the expensive waterline relocation needed before the town can finally build that new bridge? No, the answer is a bit more boring. The underground holes bored into the island for this particular project are part of an effort to expand Hilton Head's water supply, keeping Hilton Head residents' water bills from skyrocketing as demand for water increases and saltwater intrudes into the island's freshwater supply. 'Boring isn't so boring,' said Hilton Head Public Service District's General Manager, Pete Nardi. Workers are almost done installing about 1,100 feet of bright blue pipe that will pump brackish water from deep-water well 600 feet underground to a reverse osmosis treatment plant on Jenkins Island. It's part of a project will add 2 million gallons of water per day to Hilton Head's water supply. The plant's current capacity is 4 million gallons per day, and it's currently connected to three other deep-water wells that help the town meet high demand during the summer months and store excess water during the winter months. The 12-inch wide pipes arrived onsite about a month ago. To lay them underground, workers use a machine called an auger to bore a long tunnel underground where the pipes will go. A steel casing is installed to support the tunnel and the long blue pipes are pulled through the casing. The new pipeline will connect to an existing well on Jenkins Island. Workers will finish installing the pipes by early June, but the well project likely won't be completed until next year, Nardi said. Some additional work is needed at the plant, which was built in 2009, to increase its capacity. As the island's freshwater supply dwindles, more water supply is sorely needed to meet high demand during the summer months while storing excess water in case of natural disasters. Hilton Head used to pull more freshwater straight from the ground, from layers of limestone 150 feet beneath the surface. In the last 25 years, saltwater from the ocean has slowly seeped into the island's freshwater supply, contaminating 10 of the island's 14 freshwater wells. That's why Hilton Head needs to instead rely on brackish water from 600 feet underground. The water is slightly salty, but reverse osmosis can convert it into drinkable water. The same process is used to purify bottled water for popular brands like Dasani and Aquafina. Some of that treated water gets injected back into the ground to be piped back up later, like in the summer months, when demand can peak to over 11 million gallons of water per day. Those layers of limestone deep beneath the surface can act as a bubble that stores 'astronomically' large amounts of water while keeping it fresh. 'It's a huge underground storage that you cannot build above ground,' Nardi said. Over 250 million gallons of water can be stored in the Hilton Head Public Service District's single underground storage well, and the district is building another. The project will help reduce the island's reliance on expensive water from the mainland. A thick pipeline buried deep underneath the creek beds alongside the U.S. 278 bridge can supply up to 6 million gallons of water per day to the island, at a cost of over $3.30 per one thousand gallons, Nardi said. Producing water through reverse osmosis will cost between $1 and $1.20 per one thousand gallons. It's a matter of 'economics,' Nardi said. 'Plus it's really a high quality tap water.' Between 40 to 60 percent of Hilton Head's drinking water goes towards 'residential irrigation,' according to Nardi. In other words, roughly half Hilton Head's clean water supply goes towards keeping grass green. To cut down on water demand, town ordinances limit the number of times residents are only allowed to water their yards to twice a week. Sprinkler systems must be connected to a rain sensor, so that valuable drinking water wasted on a rainy day. Planting native plants in your yard, rather than grass, can reduce the strain on Hilton Head's water supply — while saving you money on your water bill. Many golf courses on Hilton Head use recycled wastewater instead of fresh drinking water, reducing the strain on the island's water supply. Hilton Head PSD also pumps recycled water into wetlands to help maintain their size and depth. The water upgrades alone won't lower Hilton Head residents' water bills. But it does mean that more of the water that flows through the taps in the future will come from the island, rather than being at the mercy of an off-island agency. 'It's going to prevent (your water bill) from so reliant, or potentially being reliant, on more expensive drinking water,' Nardi said.
