Nauru Hospital Desalination Plant, Nauru
The Client
Nauru Utilities Corporation
Nauru Utilities Corporation is a state- owned enterprise that is currently providing essential services – water, electricity and fuel – for the Nauru community.
Nauru, located just south of the Equator, is a remote, small single-island nation in the South Pacific. It has a constitutional republic with a parliamentary system of government.
The population is about 10,000 people with a total land area of 21 square kilometers. It is one of the three great rock phosphate islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The Client's Needs
In 2001 after a number of years of drought, Nauru’s potable water situation was becoming critical, with the only sources of drinking water being from bottled water and from rain water collection.
Funding was provided by AusAID, the Australian Government Agency, responsible for managing Australia's overseas aid program, to purchase 2 containerised desalination plants, to augment the potable water supplies of the island, through non rainfall dependent sources.
Reliability and ongoing service support and back up were identified as key components to a successful long term solution.
Veolia's Solution
Veolia Water Technologies Australia was awarded a contract for the design, supply, installation and commissioning of 2 x DS9 containerised Reverse Osmosis units, to treat seawater to a high quality drinking water quality, using very efficient membrane technologies. Subsequently, two more units were ordered.
This was followed up by a service agreement incorporating Hydrex® water chemicals, service and spares & consumables for the first few years of operation, to enable the plant to run smoothly and efficiently.
Veolia also trained the staff on site from Nauru Utilities Corporation, to operate and maintain the Seawater Desalination Plant.
Each DS9 Reverse Osmosis unit provides 120m3/day of drinking water.