Is Desalination a Solution to Water Shortages?
Only 3% of Earth’s water is viable for human use, and this amount is rapidly diminishing. Global warming, melting ice caps, worldwide droughts, and human population growth are causing this precious resource to evaporate before our very eyes. Action must be taken now to ensure a sustainable water supply, both for irrigation to grow food, and for consumption. Australia is proposing a desalination plant on the Gold Coast to provide water in emergencies. This area is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia with a population expected to more than double by 2056. Traditional water supply strategies have relied heavily on drawing water from dams. Ongoing dry weather conditions with predicted low rainfall across the region mean that a new emergency water source one that is not dependent on the climate – needs to be investigated. The Gold Coast project The project, initially proposed in December 2005, is composed of three phases and is expected to be up and running by December 2007 in T
