Kangaroo Island desalination plant turned on for first time, boosting firefighting capability

A vital piece of the drinking water supply is finally operating, years after the $148m plan was first raised to protect the area from devastating fires.

Kangaroo Island’s new desalination plant is now running, providing mains water to some towns for the first time and significantly boosting the island’s power to fight bushfires.

It’s kicking off a year before premium tourism venture The Cliffs Golf Course is set to open, which is expected to bring more visitors to the island, and gives greater water security for tourist operators.

Plans for the $148m desal plant were first put on display in 2021, and now the facility – which has a 2ML/day capacity, is piping clean drinking water to about 700 local homes and businesses.

Kangaroo Island's new desalination plant near Penneshaw is now up and running and delivering up to two ML a day to residents and businesses.

It was originally budgeted at $65m.

Drawing seawater through two large underwater pipelines, the Penneshaw plant uses reverse osmosis to remove all salt and impurities before its cleaned and treated to drinking water standards.

Water is pumped through a new 50km underground trunk main to supply the townships of American River, Baudin Beach, Island Beach and Sapphiretown with mains water for the first time.

SA Water has strategically installed 420 new fireplugs to provide easy water access for the CFS after Kangaroo Island was devastated by raging bushfires at the end of 2019 and start of 2020.

Kangaroo Island's new desalination plant near Penneshaw is now up and running and delivering up to two ML a day to residents and businesses.

The new plant can also supply the existing drinking water network around Kingscote if the town’s water plant goes down or is hit by fires, as it was five years when it stopped running for almost two weeks.

Urban Development Minister Nick Champion and Mawson MP Leon Bignell said it meant consistent water supply for residents and visitors and better bushfire protection for the island’s eastern side.

“The desal plant will give local businesses greater water security and will open up tourism to a new premium sector when The Cliffs Golf Course opens in just over 12 months’ time,” Mr Bignell said.

SA Water CEO David Ryan said that with a changing climate, the plant meant water supply without needing to rely on rainfall.

It’s the third seawater desal plant operated by SA Water across the state, with plans progressing for construction of a new plant in Port Lincoln by mid-2026.