Desalination to solve water industry's supply shortages

摘要

Drinking water desalination plants in southern England look set to become reality as two water compa-nies are currently testing pilot plants. Thames Water plans to bring a large plant on line in 2007/08, and South East Water plans to open a plant in Newhaven in 2006/07. Desalination has been regarded as too energy intensive and expensive for public water supply in the UK. But that myth is now being overturned by two companies facing short-term supply shortages. Thames Water says it is already operating a one megalitre per day pilot plant on the Thames estuary. It plans to apply to the London Borough of Newham this summer for planning permission to build a ￡200 million full-scale plant producing enough water to supply 900, 000 people.