Water Corp won't budge amid supply worries
WA’s Water Corporation says there is no need to find alternative water supplies for the Goldfields region.
The Goldfields and Wheatbelt get their water supply from the historic Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, which for nearly a century has seen water piped 530 kilometres from Perth's Mundaring Weir, through to Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
But recent low water levels in Perth dams and high amounts of wastage and overuse in the city has led to some concern that the regional supply may be at risk.
The Water Corporation says this is not the case.
“It doesn't put it at risk,” Water Corporation Goldfields regional manager Sharon Broad has told reporters.
“We've invested over $2 billion over the last decade to secure supplies.”
Much of this has been used to boost supply in Perth, with two new desalination plants and the tapping of new groundwater sources, which the Water Corporation says will free up some supply for towns along the pipeline.
Ms Broad suggested it would be too expensive to set up a desalination plant at Esperance or other rural centres, as has been suggested.
“We have looked at seawater and desalination from Esperance in the past,” she said.
“We've also looked at groundwater from another source called the Officer Basin.
“Unfortunately, all of these options involve major infrastructure upgrades to get the water to Kalgoorlie.
“The pipeline remains the option going forward.”