A full solar distillation plant was compared with reverse osmosis (RO) for a small groundwater desalination project in South Australia and RO was chosen as the preferred option.
The Hawker Water Quality Improvement Project will have its project design and cost estimate completed by September/October 2012, the Flinders Ranges Council was told on 14 August 2012. The project has been the subject of a cost and viability comparison by SA Water and a full concept design was started in February 2012.
The council was told that two new boreholes had been drilled and that SA Water was continuing to monitor the status of the groundwater and sustainability of the aquifer. Funding for the plant will be within a budget of Aus$ 8 million (US$ 8.4 million).