SOUTH West Water is hosting five public information events this month to discuss its proposals for a desalination plant in St Austell Bay.

There has been vocal opposition to the plan for the plant at Par Docks with DIG (Desalination Information Group) saying the project would cause environmental damage and is unnecessary in such a rainy county as Cornwall.

South West Water has tried to address some of the concerns raised and announced in May that it was revising it plans.

The company now wants to deliver the desalination scheme in two phases. However, campaigners believe this change would make little difference in the long-run.

A South West Water spokesperson said on Monday morning (July 15): “The first phase, focusing on the pressing need to secure climate-resilient water supplies, consists of delivering a smaller desalination plant. This will be made up of approximately five shipping container-sized units and will use existing infrastructure to avoid any impact to the marine environment, including seagrass and maerl.

“South West Water previously met with locals in December 2023 to discuss its proposals for desalination and is now holding three in-person public information events and two online sessions ahead of submitting a planning application for the phase one plant later this summer.

“The in-person events will be held in Par (July 15), Lostwithiel (July 17) and St Blazey (July 18), with two online sessions taking place later this month (July 23 and 25). Each event is designed to help South West Water develop its project with the community and local customers in mind, addressing concerns and taking on board feedback where possible.

“The five public events will be held at: Cornubia Lower Hall, Par, PL24 2AQ – 4pm to 7pm, Monday, July 15; Church Rooms, Lostwithiel, PL22 0BH – 4pm to 7pm, Wednesday July 17; Alexander Hall, St Blazey, PL24 2JH – 6.30pm to 9pm, Thursday, July 18; virtual webinar session – 6pm to 7.30pm, Tuesday, July 23; and virtual webinar session – 6pm to 7.30pm, Thursday, July 25.

“To find out how to register to attend an event or for more information on South West Water’s desalination proposals, visit www.southwestwater.co.uk/desalination.”

The phase one desalination plant would involve a pipeline from Par to the Restormel Water Treatment Works at Lostwithiel, a new wetland and the installation of a desalination plant at Par that would deliver between 2.5 and five million litres per day of desalinated water.

South West Water says this would avoid the need for new marine pipelines while utilising the existing wastewater infrastructure for discharges so there would be no impact to seagrass and maerl. The company says any discharges would be lower in salinity than the seawater in the bay and would not impact marine life.