INDIA – The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to revisit its plan for the construction of a desalination plant in Mumbai. Preliminary reports suggest that BMC is in talks with an Israeli based company to set up a 200,000 m3/d plant in an area near the sea in Malad. BMC plans to develop the project under the ‘Swiss Challenge Method’, which allows a project to be awarded to a private firm on an unsolicited proposal. According to officials the project is estimated to cost $805 million and if all goes to plan, Mumbai’s first desalination plant will be operational by 2025. (The Indian Express)
PAKISTAN – The Sindh Government has been building a desalination plant near Manora Beach. The plant will supply residents of Manora, a small peninsula connected to the mainland Karachi through a road link. The plant will have a production capacity of 22,730 plant m3/d and is estimated to cost $2.7 million. The plant has been 40 percent completed and is expected to start operations by end of June 2021. (Gulf News)
U.S.A. – The Vallecitos Water District in San Marcos filed a lawsuit against the San Diego County Water Authority claiming it overcharged nearly $6 million for desalinated water that was never delivered. According to Vallecitos, the water district agreed to the direct supply of water from the Carlsbad Desalination plant via a dedicated pipeline.
In 2017, the Water Authority informed Vallecitos that the connection required repairs, but according to the complaint, it failed to inform Vallecitos that the direct connection would be should down indefinitely. Vallecitos alleges that over the next 16 months it was delivered regular treated water, but was charged the premium desalinated rate, resulting in a $6 million overcharge. The district is seeking reimbursement for the amount it was allegedly overcharged along with amendments to its original contract with the Water Authority. (Times of San Diego)
The Carlsbad Desalination Plant in Carlsbad, California. Credit: Piedmont
RUSSIA – Russia is planning to build a seawater desalination plant in Nikolaevka, 30km from Simferopol in the Crimea. According to the head of the Republic of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, it will be the first desalination plant constructed in the territory of the Russian Federation. Once completed the facility will produce 10,000 m3/d and will supply water to the region of Simferopol. (The Times Hub)
EGYPT – Fluence Corporation has won a $3.2 million contract to rehabilitate and upgrade a 12,000 m3/d plant in Egypt. Fluence is predicting work on the plant will be completed by late summer 2021. The plant will serve the tourist city of Sharm El Sheikh and its 13.6 million visitors. (Stockhead)