The answer for drinking water may be right under our feet

The answer for clean drinking water could be right under our feet, according to new research from a group of West Australian scientists, who have been looking into whether we could use geothermal energy to desalinate groundwater.

A group from the Western Australia Geothermal Centre of Excellence, CSIRO, are looking to expand on their previous results from geothermal energy in an attempt to make drinking quality H20 from groundwater.

Challenge Stadium in Perth has been using geothermal technology to heat its swimming pools since 2004, using a supply that runs about 700 to 1,000 meters below the ground.

Now, the researchers are looking to extend the functionality of the newly found energy resource by looking at whether WA could use geothermal energy to desalinate groundwater. If successful, the technology could be used by regional communities and mining companies that currently pay large sums to pipe water in.

Professor Klaus Regenauer-Lieb, director of the WA Geothermal Centre at the University of Western Australia and leader of the investigation said: "It really has a potential to make Western Australia a new industrial hub in clean energy technology and water production.

"It will help to reduce competition for scarce fresh water resources in those parts of Australia where geothermal energy can be economically used to improve water quality," he said.

Although it is still very early days, the potential is very exciting, and it could revolutionize Australia's access to clean water. The technology works by using the heat of the earth's core to evaporate groundwater. Pure water separates from the salt and pollutants and forms a clean steam, which must then be cooled and condensed to make water.

Essentially, the technique is; heat, evaporate, condense, repeat. At the moment the technology is not suitable for urban areas, which is why the team are mapping out sites across regional WA that have available but unused groundwater and geothermal energy within close range.

Posted by Claire Manning