Abu Dhabi to recycle all treated effluent

The two main sewage treatment plants in Abu Dhabi city and Al-Ain are producing surplus treated effluent totalling 150,000 cubic metres a day.

The plant at Mafraq near Abu Dhabi city pumps its daily surplus of 120,000 cubic metres into the Gulf. The Zakher plant in Al-Ain pumps 30,000 cubic metres a day into a desert lagoon.

Alan Thomson, managing director of the Abu Dhabi Sewage Services Company, told MEED's Wastewater Treatment & Reuse 2007 conference in Abu Dhabi today told delegates: 'Contracts will be awarded to create infrastructure that will allow 100 per cent of the surplus water to be used by the end of 2009 or by early 2010.'

The contracts will entail expanding the systems for delivering treated effluent into irrigation. The company said it wants to hear proposals for water to be used for other purposes, including in district cooling systems. 'At present, however, our only customers are the municipalities of Abu Dhabi and Al-Ain,' said Thomson.

Both of Abu Dhabi's main sewage treatment plants are under heavy pressure due to soaring effluent flows in the emirate.

The main Mafraq plant in Abu Dhabi is dealing with 420,000 cubic metres a day, compared with its re-rated capacity of 340,000 cubic metres a day. The Zakher plant in Al-Ain is processing 120,000 cubic metres a day, more than double its original design capacity.

Thomson said: "We have real problems in terms of capacity in both Abu Dhabi and Al-Ain."

The Abu Dhabi sewerage network comprises a total of 26 sewage treatment plants. The emirate's sewerage system was handed over to the ADSSC in 2005 as part of a plan to introduce private capital and expertise into the network.

The company said it also plans to build two major new sewage treatment plants and the first deep tunnel sewerage system in the GCC. Contracts are likely to be signed by early 2008, Thomson said.

By Edmund O'Sullivan