The WA Government has allocated $1.5 million towards a new project supporting Western Australian farmers to adopt self-sufficient water supply systems and build long-term drought resilience.
The Watersmart Farms project facilitates the rapid, widespread adoption of on-farm desalinisation plants in agricultural regions to process brackish groundwater into a suitable resource for livestock, crop agronomy and other agribusiness activities.
The project seeks to optimise desalinisation technology and its application in the Wheatbelt and Great Southern regions, including assessing the technology, economics and systems, identifying suitable groundwater resources and investigating options for the disposal of brine.
Researchers will examine how to improve farm dams and catchments to provide water in dry periods, including undertaking a targeted drilling exploration program to locate suitable groundwater for desalinisation trials.
The project aims to attract future co-investment to support the development and adoption of innovative and sustainable water supply options.
Source: WA Government