An Cosantóir May 2020 www.dfmagazine.ie
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O
n 7 January, a C-17 Globemaster
flew from Brisbane to Adelaide
with a water purification and
desalination system (WPDS) to turn sea
water into drinking water for residents of
Kangaroo Island.
The system was flown to RAAF Base Ed-
inburgh, north of Adelaide, and transported
by road and ferry to the island.
Nine soldiers from 6th Engineer Support
Regiment, based at RAAF Base Amberley,
and two health-support staff from 2nd
General Health Battalion, based at Gallipoli
Barracks, set up and operated the system
for weeks.
Lieutenant Mark Loneragan, of 6th En-
gineer Support Regiment, said WPDS was
capable of producing up to 100,000 litres of
purified water a day from the sea.
"Once established and initial supply is
achieved, the system can continue to pro-
duce water under supervision, with regular
maintenance undertaken by a small support
team," Lieutenant Loneragan said.
Aside from heavy-lift aircraft, RAAF also
put Poseidon's eyes in the sky to provide
vital daily information to firefighting crews
on the ground.
Operating out of RAAF Base Edinburgh,
the crews from No. 11 Squadron flew eight to
10 hours a day conducting aerial surveillance
of infrastructure and roads in fire-affected
areas all across New South Wales, Victoria
and South Australia's Kangaroo Island.
PART 2
