Revealed: Why your water bills will rise by $35 a year starting TODAY with the simple flick of a switch
- Sydney's desalination plant, in Kurnell, is set to be switched on later today
- The plant is being reactivated as water levels reach critical point of 60 per cent
- Households could be forced to stomp up an additional $35 per year in water bills
- It can take eight months for the plant to be 'fully operational' once switched on
- Sydney Water MD ,Kevin Young, advised people to be savvy with water usage
Water bills in Sydney are expected to rise when the city's desalination plant is switched on later today.
Households could be forced to stomp up an additional $35 every year with the New South Wales government's announcement that the plant, situated at Kurnell, would be back open for business.
The facility, worth a staggering $2.3 billion, will be reactivated after water levels in Warragamba dam reached critical point of 60 per cent on Saturday morning.
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(File picture) New South Wales households could be forced to stomp up an additional $35 every year in water bills
According to WaterNSW, water levels have been dropping at the equivalent of 1 per cent point, every two weeks.
It's believed that unless there is a sudden, and unexpected, rainfall the plant switch on will go ahead this weekend.
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The project, which was initially completed in 2010, will supply 15 per cent of Sydney's water requirements.
However, it's thought it could as long as three or four months before drinking water from the plant reaches the Sydney water network.
Once the plant is activated it's thought it can take up to three or four months for drinking water to enter the Sydney water network
The plant is due to be switched on later today because water levels in the Warragamba dam reached critical point of just 60 per cent
The development was originally created to act as a safeguard for the city's water supply, but once activated it can take up to eight months for the plant to be 'fully operational'.
'Under the Metropolitan Water Plan, when dam levels fall below 60 per cent, the Sydney Desalination Plant is switched on to boost supplies,' New South Wales Utilities Minister Don Harwin said.
It's thought the yearly increase of water bills for the average household will be between $25 and $35.
The project (pictured) was initially completed in 2010, and will supply 15 per cent of Sydney's water requirements
But Sydney Water managing director Kevin Young has urged Sydney dwellers to try to be savvier when it comes to their water usage.
'A small saving by each individual can create a significant water saving if the majority of the 5 million Sydneysiders get involved,' Mr Young said, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Today's switch on is essentially a recommission of the project, as the plant will take some time to gear back up into full working motion.
The plant (pictured) must be operational for a minimum of 14 months, and can take up to eight months to be 'fully operational'
When the plant was previously open, from mid-2010 to 2012, it's estimated to have provided 158 billion litres of drinking water.
Once the plant is officially up and running it must be operational for a minimum of 14 months.
If the water levels continue to dwindle to as little as 50 per cent, design work for stage two of the plant will commence, according to Sydney Water's Metropolitan Water Plan.
New South Wales Utilities Minister Don Harwin (pictured) said the plant is switched on to boost supplies when water levels reach critical point
If water levels reach 50 per cent design work for stage two of the plant will commence, according to Sydney Water's Metropolitan Water Plan
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