HC Deb 15 June 1971 vol 819 c67W
Mr. Thorpe

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what experiments are being carried out by his Department into turning sea water into drinking water.

Mr. Peter Walker

Studies of desalination as a means of contributing to water supply in England and Wales are promoted by the Water Resources Board and are kept under review by a Co-ordinating Committee set up by the Board in 1964. On 17th March I announced the approval of an experimental scheme at Ipswich using the secondary refrigerant freeze process which is being carried out by the Board in conjunction with the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and Simon Engineering Ltd. It will be operating in about two years' time.