Environmental sustainability in water supply planning – an LCA approach for the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia

In response to the declining quality and quantity of water resources on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australian Water developed a Master Plan in consultation with key stakeholders to deliver an economical and environmentally sustainable water supply to the Eyre Peninsula in the short to medium term. Three water supply options were considered in detail: extension of the Morgan-Whyalla pipeline to bring water from the River Murray, desalination of seawater and desalination of water from the Tod River. Extension of the pipeline would have the advantages of relatively simple infrastructure, but require water to be pumped over 700 km from its source to reach Ceduna in South Australia. Desalination technologies are promising, but they also demand large quantities of electrical energy. The Master Plan concluded that desalination of brackish water from the Tod Reservoir was the most appropriate option. As part of a subsequent policy initiative to undertake environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) on all major capital works projects, SA Water sought the supply of LCA expertise from Australian Water Technologies. This paper discusses the alternatives considered by the LCA, the results of the analysis, and their utilisation within SA Water’s planning process.