Abu Dhabi, December 10: Using wastewater is not only good for the environment but also for business.
This is what wastewater expert and managers said at the Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Conference 2009, organised by MEED in Abu Dhabi on December 7-9.
“The Gulf region has one of the highest per capita water consumption in the world, so it’s time we make use of our wastewater,” said Khaldoun Tabari, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Drake and Skull International PJSC.
“From a business prospective, wastewater is underused. The United States spends annually $25 billion on wastewater,” he added pointing out that companies should invest more into wastewater locally too.
Currently, the UAE is using treated wastewater for forests, parks, green areas and even for growing certain plants for animal food.
The Ministry of Environment and Water might consider using it in landscaping and for recreational purposes as well.
Speaking at the Conference on his behalf and on that of Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, the Minister of Environment and Water, Dr Salem Al Dhahiri, advisor to the minister, reminded the participants that the UAE, “paid early special care for this issue, when it set up in 1973 the first wastewater treatment plant in Abu Dhabi.”
Now 40 such plants exist throughout the country.
“The production capacity of the current treatment plants is over 400 million cubic metres per year and expected to increase remarkably in the near future,” added Dr Dhahiri.
In Abu Dhabi emirate alone, the wastewater treatment capacity stands at 414,000 cubic metres per day and plans are to increase this capacity with an extra 300,000 daily cubic metres.
For Dubai, the plans are even more ambitious – the current capacity stands at 260,000 cubic metres per day, with an extra 798,000 cubic metres daily planned for the near future.
Coinciding with the Conference, Corodex Industries announced on Tuesday that it completed the construction of three sewage treatment plant projects for Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company in Abu Dhabi emirate.
Two of the plants are located in Mafraq with the capacities of 50,000 cubic metres per day and 30,000 cubic metres per day.
The third plant is located in Al Ain with the capacity of 15,000 cubic metres per day. All three are now in commissioning stage.
–Agencies