Sydney's desalination plant is likely to be switched on this weekend, according to the state resources minister.
The plant is fired up when Sydney's water storages drop below 60 per cent and they are currently at 60.1 per cent.
"The dam levels are at 60.1 per cent today and they've been falling," NSW Resources Minister Don Harwin told reporters on Thursday.
"The likelihood is that the desal will be commissioned on Saturday and start its work then."
Sydneysiders can expect their water bills to increase by about $30 as a result, Mr Harwin admitted earlier this week, before adding: "We have the lowest water bills of any major city across Australia."
Once up and running the plant must run for a minimum of 14 months under the metropolitan water plan.
Mr Harwin defended that contractual arrangement on Thursday.
"It (the plant) needs a certain amount of time before it reaches a full level of operation," the minister said.
"That could take as much as eight months anyway before it's at a full operational level supplying 15 per cent of Sydney's water.
"So I think that contract term is an appropriate term."
The plant can produce up to 250 megalitres of fresh water a day, approximately 15 per cent of Sydney's water demand, according to the state government.
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