South West Water joins forces with Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions to bring desalination to Cornwall

South West Water joins forces with Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions to bring desalination to Cornwall
South West Water is making progress towards bringing desalination to Cornwall after appointing Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions to move to the next phase of development.
Last year saw record levels of drought in the South West, putting pressure on the region’s water resources. South West Water has worked hard to increase supplies and build greater future resilience.
Preparation for future climate change issues includes the first desalination plant in Cornwall, which will provide a climate-independent source of water and protect the region against the prolonged periods of hot, dry weather we are seeing due to climate change.
South West Water explored potential sites across Cornwall’s coastline with considerations for any possible impact to the public, wildlife and the environment, and has determined that Par is the most suitable location for desalination.
Working with South West Water, Veolia will manufacture and supply the proposed desalination plant, ensuring the strictest quality control measures are in place to meet the standards required for this kind of unique project.
David Harris, Drought and Resilience Director for South West Water, said: “The extreme weather conditions we faced last year means we are taking proactive steps to develop climate-independent sources of water. This will help us to become less reliant on rainfall and more resilient against the impacts of climate change in the future.
“We are working closely with our regulators and other key stakeholders to ensure we are delivering this project in the most responsible way and we are pleased to be working closely with Veolia to build and deliver the proposed desalination for the South West.”
The desalination plant will provide an additional, long-term, water source capable of producing up to 20 million litres of water/day, approx. 40% of the current water demand for Cornwall.