In September 2019, Jersey Water announced it would switch the Channel Island's desalination plant back on after a dry summer. According to Jersey Met, the island had received 25% less rainfall than the long-term average that year. The plant desalinates 10 million litres of seawater a day, about 10,000 m³/day, and feeds the Val de la Mer reservoir. It was the second activation that year, after a seven-year gap between 2011 and 2018. Chief executive Helier Smith called it a "precautionary measure".
Jersey showed how a desalination plant can work as a reserve: idle for long periods, switched on at short notice when rain is scarce to support storage rather than carry the base supply.
Source: BBC News