High salinity has an impact on people and industries reliant on water from the River Murray.

 

High levels of salt can reduce crop yields, limit the choice of crops that can be grown and, at higher concentrations over long periods, can kill trees and make the land unsuitable for agricultural purposes.

 

Salinity increases the “hardness” of water, which can mean more soap and detergents have to be used or water softeners installed and maintained. This can also cause scaling in pipes and heaters.

 

In industry, high levels of dissolved salts can cause corrosion, scale, and poor steam quality and increase the need for chemicals for water treatment.