Les Vardes quarry is of 'great strategic importance'
LOSING the last quarry available for water storage could force Guernsey Water to spend £50m. on a desalination plant, its former director of water services has said.
Andrew Redhead was discussing the utility's hopes for Les Vardes quarry, which is currently owned by Ronez.
It followed opponents of Public Services waste strategy again highlighting the site as the perfect place for a second landfill.
But Mr Redhead said future increases in water supply demands meant Les Vardes was of great strategic importance.
'In water resource planning terms you have to look beyond 25 and 50 years, looking at futuristic island needs,' he said.
'Les Vardes is the last quarry which is of reasonable size to be used for water storage. We're not saying we need it today, we're not planning to put Les Vardes into action before 2035 or 2040 – that's the kind of timescale we are looking at, and it's at about that timescale that Ronez is expected to finish quarrying the site.'
He added if the quarry was not available the utility would have to look at other options, including a desalination plant at a cost of £50m..
