Desalination divides North Carolina neighbours

Two towns in Michigan, USA have demonstrated the full extent of divided public reaction to the prospect of a desalination plant in their midst.

The town council of Leland, North Carolina turned down an application by H2GO Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer to build a reverse osmosis desalination plant in the town. Noise was the chief objection of the town’s council. H2GO was anticipating a more favourable response to second bid to construct a plant at Leland’s Brunswick County neighbour, Belville.

Belville commissioner, Joe Breault, was reported in the local press as saying he saw no downside. “With the reverse osmosis plant, if you were next door, you would never know it was there,” Breault said.

H2GO purchased a US$ 722,000 property in Leland with the intent of building a reverse osmosis plant to treat groundwater drawn from underground aquifers. Brunswick County is currently the sole provider of treated water in the county, and the H2GO plant would provide an alternative.