He said a side product of desalination known as brine - the salt-saturated water left over from the process - is also pumped back into the ocean, killing marine life forms not equipped to adjust to the change of salinity. “The super-saturated salt water decreases oxygen levels in the water causing animals and plants to suffocate,” he said.  “While sucking ocean water in for desalination, the treatment process traps and kills fish, plants and eggs - many of which belong to endangered species,” he said.

Mr Slack said it’s not just the marine life that suffers; there are many potential negative health risks for humans too. “By-products of the chemicals used in desalination can get through into the ‘pure’ water and endanger the people who drink it because of its acidity and lack of minerals. “Even the World Health Organisation does not advocate mineralised water.

 “There are many other negative factors of desalination to consider including the ongoing processing costs involved, the high energy use and the large greenhouse gas emissions. We certainly shouldn’t be investing any more money into the desalination plant which has been riddled with problems from the get-go. The government is now saying they have to upgrade pipes to higher-grade stainless steel, strengthen the marine diffuser header and replace the permeate water tank amongst other things. At what cost will this be to taxpayers? That money would be better spent investigating or implementing alternative water options,” he said.

Wayne Slack is a recognised authority in environmental wastewater treatment and is a lecturer and speaker at international conferences on wastewater treatment and chemical reduction. He is available on 07 55 687 522 or 0413 747 373 and at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to provide expert opinion on any emergent water issues.