The South Australian Government opened the $10m pilot desalination plant at Port Stanvac on 4 August 2008.

The facility will test the pre-treatment and filtration technologies needed for the main 50GL, $1.1b plant for Adelaide.

The Water Security Minister Karlene Maywald, who officially opened the plant, said the testing period will run for six to 12 months.

The Minister claimed construction on the main plant is slated to begin by the middle of 2009. It is expected to be completed by December 2011.

The pilot plant has been built on rented land at Exxon Mobil’s dormant oil refinery.