A SHARK found in a tank at the Binningup Desalination Plant will continue to call the site home.                                   

A Wobbegong shark was found in a seawater intank station during scheduled maintenance work last week.

Water Corporation spokeswoman Clare Lugar said divers since had been trying to snare the shark.

“We are unlikely to capture it any time soon,” she said.

“It has lived there for nine months quite happily and has had no impact on the plant.

“We are happy to continue as we have been.”

However Ms Lugar said spearing the shark may also be an option.

“These types of sharks are caught frequently in commercial fishing and they’re not endangered,” she said.

“The authorities are not concerned about that option [spearing the shark].”

The 22-metre deep station is at the beach end of a 500-metre long, two-metre diameter pipeline that brings seawater slowly into the plant from the ocean.

The shark had most likely entered the station via the pipeline during the plant’s construction while a grated screen was not in place.

Ms Lugar said the shark may have escaped early checks of the system as it was somewhere in the pipeline that could not be visually checked for safety reasons.

“It would not be possible for a similar shark to enter the station again via the pipe as the screen would now prevent this,” she said.

Areas that were shut down for the maintenance have now resumed operation.