Seawater desalination in Australia

Australia is the driest habitable continent on Earth and its installed desalination capacity has been increasing.^{[citation needed]} Until a few decades ago, Australia met its demands for water by drawing freshwater from dams and water catchments. As a result of the water supply crisis during the severe 1997–2009 drought, state governments began building desalination plants that purify seawater using reverse osmosis technology. Approximately one percent of the world's drinkable water originates from desalination plants.^[1]

The first modern large-scale desalination plant was the Perth Seawater Desalination Plant, completed in November 2006 and over 30 plants are currently operating across the country. Many plants are utilizing nearby wind or wave farms to use renewable energy and reduce operating costs, and solar powered desalination units are used for remote communities.^{[citation needed]}