In the last decade, seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) has come to be seen by policy-makers as a novel technology that will significantly advance water security in South African coastal regions. Water purveyors, from the private sector, local/district municipalities and provincial authorities, are undertaking studies to explore the feasibility of SWRO to meet growing demand and relieve mounting pressure on current bulk water supply infrastructure. With this in mind, it is suggested that national strategic planning should be introduced to present the opportunities and constraints of the desalination option within the national water and energy policy. In absence of this, piece-meal decisions will be made at local authority levels and the construction of SWRO plants will be determined by regional circumstances (e.g. drought) as opposed to national water policy agenda. This paper explores the value of such a strategy by considering the drivers of SWRO in South Africa, the risk of unplanned large-scale SWRO implementation (with a focus on environmental impacts) and the initial steps that could be taken toward a Strategic Environmental Assessment for SWRO in South Africa.
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December 2014
This article was originally published in
Journal of Water Reuse and Desalination
Article Contents
Research Article|
May 22 2014
Seawater desalination as an option to alleviate water scarcity in South Africa: the need for a strategic approach to planning and environmental decision-making
G. O. Schreiner;
1CSIR – Environmental Management Services, Box 320 Stellenbosch 7599, South Africa
E-mail: [email protected]
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R. C. van Ballegooyen;
R. C. van Ballegooyen
2CSIR – Natural Resources and Environment, Box 320 Stellenbosch 7599, South Africa
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W. Osman
W. Osman
1CSIR – Environmental Management Services, Box 320 Stellenbosch 7599, South Africa
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Journal of Water Reuse and Desalination (2014) 4 (4): 287–293.
Article history
Received:
July 19 2013
Accepted:
February 27 2014
Citation
G. O. Schreiner, R. C. van Ballegooyen, W. Osman; Seawater desalination as an option to alleviate water scarcity in South Africa: the need for a strategic approach to planning and environmental decision-making. Journal of Water Reuse and Desalination 1 December 2014; 4 (4): 287–293. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wrd.2014.035
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