Waste water plan angers residents

Torbay residents have slammed a Water Corporation plan to pump thousands of kilolitres of waste water from Denmark’s new desalination plant into a waterway on Perkins Beach Road.

The proposal is part of the town’s $4.5 million water supply upgrade, after drinking water levels in Quickup and Denmark River dams dropped after Denmark’s rainfall was its second driest on record last year.

The upgrade involves multiple reverse osmosis desalination units and a 3.5km pipeline between the two dams, in a bid to provide residents with an additional 650-million litres of water during dry periods.

The Water Corporation plan to discharge the salty waste water from the desalination process into a drain on Perkins Beach Road in Torbay, with a temporary pipeline carrying the ‘brine’ into a pool at the back of Perkins Beach.

Between one and three 20,000 kilolitre tankers are expected to discharge the brine on weekdays when the desalination is operating into the pipeline, which has angered residents in the area.

Torbay Catchment Group member Pip Tilbrook said there had been a lack of community consultation and environmental assessment, after learning about the plan on Friday.

“The lack of community consultation has been atrocious,” she said.

“People are very concerned about the possible impact on the environment and tourism and increased traffic.”

Read more in Thursday’s Albany Advertiser.