Hospital prepares water treatment plant as outback shortage worsens

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      Broken Hill's hospital is planning to build a desalination unit to ensure its water is of the required quality for medical use.

Broken Hill Base Hospital is taking special precautions to ensure the quality of its water as the water shortage in far west New South Wales worsens.

A spokesman for the Far West Local Health District said the hospital is preparing to install its own reverse osmosis desalination plant on site to treat water specifically for use in hospital equipment.

Domestic water provider Essential Water also expects to be using a desalination plant to treat the city’s remaining drinking water supply from the Menindee Lakes by the end of the year.

The hospital uses an average of 90 kilolitres a day in a range of medical equipment.

A development application has been filed by the hospital, and plans for installation are now being finalised, the spokesman said.

Level 3 water restrictions are due to be introduced before desalination is necessary for the drinking supply, but the hospital is not expected to be affected by the restrictions.