When the Victorian Desalination Plant starts making high quality drinking water from seawater, we will have a guaranteed water supply even in years of drought.

It will be the largest desalination plant in Australia, supplying 150 billion litres of water a year to Melbourne, Geelong and some regional communities.

Water from the Victorian Desalination Plant will enter the network through Cardinia Reservoir and from offtakes on its 84km transfer pipeline. From Cardinia Reservoir the desalinated water can be transferred through Silvan Reservoir to the broader network, depending on how storages are managed. 

The desalination pipeline is two-way, so areas in South Gippsland and Westernport can also access the Melbourne Supply System to use if and when required. 

The plant will be one of the greenest in the world by using:

• renewable energy to offset 100 per cent of operational power
• world-leading energy recovery devices to reduce power consumption, and
• a unique design with living green roof and new coastal park.

The project scope and benefits include:

• a rainfall independent source of water
• 150 billion litre per year plant
• expandable to 200 billion litres
• flexible water supplies (annual ordering from 0 to 150 billion litres in set increments)
• highest quality desalinated water to match Melbourne’s world class standards
• world class architecture and landscaping
• Australia’s largest living green roof
• long tunnels for intake and outlet to protect the coast and beach – 200 billion litre capacity
• 84km two way water transfer pipeline – 200 billion litre capacity
• seven pipeline connection points for water delivery to Melbourne and some towns in South Gippsland and Western Port.
• 87km underground power supply – 200 billion litre capacity
• new communications cable
• 100 per cent offset of electricity by renewable energy
• $1 billion boost to Gross State Product
• of $1.2 billion in contracts awarded to date, ¾ Australian (⅔ Victorian).

The project will be delivered through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) under the Victorian Government’s Partnerships Victoria Policy. The AquaSure consortium has been selected to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the project.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment's Capital Projects Division has established a dedicated team to manage this PPP contract with AquaSure on behalf of the State.

For more than a decade, our state has struggled with rainfall significantly below the long-term average.

We still need to save water, but our desalination plant and other Victorian Government water projects are our roadmap back from severe water restrictions.