EPA Licence

EPA Licence

The licence which has been granted to the VDP by the EPA stipulates the environmental performance conditions that the plant must, as a minimum, meet with respect to the amenity, land conditions, stormwater discharge and discharge to surface waters.

Only seawater concentrate that is in accordance with the licence conditions can be discharged to the marine environment.

The seawater concentrate contains seawater not used in the desalination process, salt and other chemicals that already occur naturally in seawater.  No active chemicals are present.

The EPA Licence specifies an area that extends a 180 metre radius from the marine intake and outlet structures called a “mixing zone”.  Within this area seawater concentrate is discharged and must be diluted back to background salinity levels.  For more information on mixing zones go to: http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/~/media/Publications/1344.pdf

Click view the EPA Discharge Licence