USD140 million sewerage treatment investment in Ajman

The rising population of Ajman meant the existing septic tank system and tanker disposal system would be unable to cope with the demands of more people in the future, leading to potential public health issues and the adverse environmental impact and pollution of the soil of the Emirate.

Now the construction of a world-class state of the art sewerage system for the Emirate will ensure that sewage is removed from homes and businesses directly through underground pipes and then treated in a modern treatment plant. Fully treated effluent from the plant can then be used for irrigation and other purposes.

Ajman Sewerage (Private) Company Limited, the concession company created to implement the project, says the new system will help to protect the health of individuals and their families and bring significant economic benefits to Ajman.

General Manager Mr. Kelvin Moon explains: "This project will deliver positive health and environmental benefits. Piped removal of waste means a cleaner process and dramatically reduces any risk of disease or illnesses that could be caused by the current system of septic tanks.

"Currently the sewage is then taken by tanker and discharged into lagoons in the desert which if continued for many more years, could potentially lead to significant health and long-term environmental problems for the Emirate.

"Instead the sewage will be treated to the highest international standards at our new treatment plant and the treated effluent from the works will then be used beneficially to irrigate and 'green' the local environment."

Mr Moon explained that the concession company will deliver the treated water from the plant to the Government of Ajman, to enable the reuse of this valuable resource for irrigation and landscape beautification projects. The projected annual volume will rise from 11 million cubic metres to over 17 million cubic metres per year in 15 years time. The water recycled is approximately 50 per cent of the current potable water going into the Ajman water supply.

Ajman Sewerage Company officials believe the works will effectively increase 10-fold the amount of water used for Municipal irrigation purposes in the Emirate. Several areas throughout the Emirate are already set to benefit from this major environmental windfall that will arise by the establishment of the sewerage system.

The Ajman Sewerage Company is currently conducting a major exercise in Ajman to register every property and to request property owners to sign up so they can benefit from this project.

The sewerage modernisation programme will involve the building of a state of the art sewerage treatment plan in Ajman, more than 15 individual pumping stations and laying over 200km of pipelines to connect the properties to the system. It will take an estimated four years to complete the project and the main treatment plant is expected to open in 2005.

The Ajman Sewerage (Private) Company Ltd. is a joint concession company comprising the Government of Ajman and two world leaders in the provision of wastewater services and infrastructure systems - Thames Water and Black & Veatch. The concession company will build, operate and manage the project for 25 years.

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