Eyre Peninsula desalination plant delayed six months, water supply pushed to mid-2027

SA Water confirmed that the Eyre Peninsula Desalination Plant will not be operational by the originally planned 2026 deadline, with the first supply of drinking water now pushed to the middle of 2027 after a six-month delay caused by unusually hard granite encountered during underground tunnelling. The plant’s pipelines are finished and the facility is largely complete, but the tunnelling setback has shifted the timeline.

Despite the delay, recent heavy rains have raised water levels in the Uley South Basin, allowing SA Water to maintain current water deliveries to the 35,000 residents of Port Lincoln and surrounding areas. The project’s budget has escalated from an initial $330 million to roughly $470 million, drawing criticism from the Hands Off Boston Bay group, which questions the site’s cost-effectiveness. The state government said a revised financial plan will be issued after finalising contracts with delivery partners, and a new Water Allocation Plan will allow reduced groundwater extraction once the plant comes online.