PROLONGED use of the Island’s desalination plant – which has been turned on this week in response to lengthy periods of dry weather this summer – could eventually lead to higher bills, Jersey Water has warned.
In taking the decision to activate the facility at La Rosière in St Brelade yesterday, Jersey Water said that while there would be no immediate impact on customers’ bills, a longer-term impact could not be ruled out.
The cost of operating the plant, which narrowly escaped being damaged by fire earlier this week following a bonfire, is calculated at £5,000 per day. Its use will see 5.5 million litres of desalinated water pumped into the Val de la Mare reservoir every day.
Mark Manton, chief water operations officer for Jersey Water, said the decision would help alleviate a situation which saw reservoirs currently 64% full – around 11% lower than the average figure for late August over the past decade.
Mr Manton predicted that it was likely the plant would operate until some point in October, at which point it might it would normally be expected that increased rainfall would be likely, but said this timetable was not guaranteed.
“The cost of running the desalination plant is factored into charges to some extent,” he said.
“But if climate change continues in the same direction, with more extreme weather events, and the requirement [for desalination] shifts from an infrequent ‘safety net’ to a situation where we rely on it more and more, that’s when the issue around charges would need to be addressed.”
Mr Manton emphasised that in taking measures to use less of the “precious” resource, customers could help achieve lower bills, as well as improving the overall Island position. An ongoing advertising campaign will aim to reinforce this message.
Currently the average daily demand for water in Jersey is about 19m litres, around three-and-a-half times the 5.5m that will be produced by desalination. At full capacity, the plant can produce 10.8m litres per day.
Mr Manton said the Island would need significant rainfall this autumn and winter to replenish stocks and avoid a more challenging summer in 2027.
“The fire near the desalination plant earlier this week served as a good reminder of just how important this facility is for Jersey’s water resilience,” he said.
“The plant is a safety net during prolonged dry periods and drought like we’ve experienced this summer, but we can’t only rely on it for our water supply – that’s why it’s really important that Islanders reduce how they use water and consciously make water-saving part of their everyday lives.
“The plant has served Jersey very well, but much of it is more than 40 years old, and with forecast daily water shortages of 8.6 million litres by 2035 during severe droughts, this is why Jersey Water is investing £26 million in an essential upgrade to increase the plant’s output by 50% to 16.2 million litres a day.”
It is hoped that the planned upgrade will be complete by 2030, subject to planning approval.
