Final EIA report boosts La Mercy desal
To offset the loss of wetlands due to the construction of the proposed desalination plant, the CSIR recommended that other degraded wetlands in the area be rehabilitated.
The final environmental impact report for the proposed construction and operation of a 150Ml/day sea water desalination plant in La Mercy has given it the green light.
The report, compiled by CSIR environmental practitioners and released late last week, recommended that the project be granted environmental authorisation by the department of environmental affairs on certain conditions.
To offset the loss of wetlands due to the construction of the proposed desalination plant, the CSIR recommended that other degraded wetlands in the area be rehabilitated.
A bone of contention with La Mercy residents was the visual impact the plant might have. According to the report, future plans for the region are for low density residential rather than industrial development, which is expected to reduce the initial visual impact.
From a coastal and marine environmental perspective, further disturbances of the marine or coastal systems or features are to be expected because that area of coastline has been earmarked for development anyway.
There are two options for power supply to the plant. If Ethekwini goes ahead with its future development plans, then a 132kV point of supply will be available within a kilometre of the plant. If not, Umgeni Water would put in a single-circuit 132kV transmission line from the La Mercy major substation on the western side of King Shaka International Airport.
Umgeni Water’s infrastructure master plan shows that, even without the current drought, the water resources on the North Coast will not be able to meet the increased demand in five to ten years’ time.
The future of the region is greatly dependent on an additional water source that is not rainfall or climate dependent. Besides being at the mercy of the weather, building more dams like the proposed Smithfield Dam along the Umkomaas River and the proposed Umvoti Dam, will take many years to complete and the North Coast will be short of water before they are completed.
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