What about icebergs?
Thanks to J F Beck, I’ve got more information on the South Australian iceberg report. It’s called South Australian Water Futures – 21 Options for the 21st Century, and although it is unavailable online there is a brief summary (pdf):
A study by the South Australian Government in 1989 estimated that an operational scheme would cost about $1.8 billion (SA Govt, 1989). Allowing for inflation since then, the cost of water from icebergs would be about $3.20 per kilolitre or $3,200 per megalitre.
$3.20/kl? That’s possibly half the cost of Colin’s Canal!
Update: John Quiggin says the iceberg costs might be much higher.
How viable is the iceberg idea? Not in terms of cost, but more environmental considerations – having a large cold object so far from where it is supposed to be has GOT to do something.
Might increase rainfall?
Nic, everything we do has an environmental impact. The iceberg would yield far less water than the canal is proposed to, so how will that impact the Kimberley’s ecosystem? We won’t know until a feasibility study is conducted.
Robert,
The fact that the iceberg will not yield as much water as a canal will not impact the Kimberley ecosystem. Towing the icebergs to the Kimberley would be very difficult. It’s probably not feasible.
Having said that, a program whereby icebergs are towed inland and melted into a dam that flows into a canal is attractive. Such a program would allow us to have the canal without the problem of using too much Kimberley water. It’s a win-win.
The fact that the iceberg will not yield as much water as a canal will not impact the Kimberley ecosystem.
That’s not what I said. I said it is meaningless to complain about the environmental impact of removing roughly 36Gl from the Antarctic without comparing it to the damage that would be done by removing 200Gl from the Kimberley.
Towing the icebergs to the Kimberley would be very difficult. It’s probably not feasible.
It would be pointless. You’d just bring them to the South-West, where the water’s actually needed.
a program whereby icebergs are towed inland and melted into a dam that flows into a canal is attractive.
It’s not possible. Icebergs have to sit off the continental shelf. But the idea is to build a catchment device around them and pipe the water to the mainland.
Kidding, but thanks for taking the time to respond.
Cheers
Canal vs Desalination
The issue that has dominated the WA election campagin is Colin Barnett’s canal plan… Here are all the posts pertaining to the debate, I will update this list as we go…