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Tours of Sydney Water facilities
Tour the Kurnell Desalination Plant
Where is the plant?
The desalination plant is on Sir Joseph Banks Drive, Kurnell.
What will we see there?
The plant uses reverse osmosis technology to produce up to 260 million litres of drinking water each day.
But the process to turn seawater into drinking water requires more than this. It also includes screening, pre-treatment and post-treatment to ensure that the water meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
You'll be shown each stage of the desalination and water treatment process from start to finish.
You'll also find out about the seawater intakes and outlets and a number of environmental considerations, including renewable energy that ensures the sustainability of our plant.
Desalination provides an extra source of water for Sydney that doesn't rely on rain.
What happens on the tour?
The tour takes about two hours and includes a multimedia presentation and site tour.
The group will be met by the tour leader, who will escort you and explain the treatment process.
Health and safety
Everyone on tour must follow our instructions. These include:
- wearing sturdy/sensible fully covered shoes (no thongs, sandals, heels or ballet flats)
- switching off your mobile phones
- not touching equipment
- washing hands after the tour
- not smoking, eating or drinking during the visit.
You may need to wear safety hats, vests and goggles during the tour (Sydney Water will supply equipment).
Learn more about the desalination plant.
Learn about water: Definitions
