Thirsty Australia Turns to the Ocean

Arid Australia is investing big-time in a water desalination project that will attempt to ease some of the country's water woes.

1 minute read

July 12, 2010, 11:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


The project will build plants in the country's five largest cities.

"In one of the country's biggest infrastructure projects in its history, Australia's five largest cities are spending $13.2 billion on desalination plants capable of sucking millions of gallons of seawater from the surrounding oceans every day, removing the salt and yielding potable water. In two years, when the last plant is scheduled to be up and running, Australia's major cities will draw up to 30 percent of their water from the sea."

Monday, July 12, 2010 in The New York Times

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