Ajman Sewerage Project - facts and figures

Work is now underway in building a high-tech sewage treatment works in a desert area on the outskirts of the City of Ajman and is scheduled to be fully completed in August 2005. A major benefit of the system will be the creation of treated effluent from the works that will be used to help considerably enhance the environment of Ajman through supplying water for use in irrigation and greening of the Emirate.

Over 900 people will be employed in building the treatment works with 50 working at the plant full-time to operate and maintain it in the future. The initial phase of the works is anticipated to come on line in August 2004 when partial treatment of sewage will be possible.

The plant has been designed to handle up to 49,000 cubic metres of waste per day in the initial phase to serve a population of approximately 245,000 people. It has also been designed with the capability to expand in the future to cope with a population of up to 380,000 people as the Emirate of Ajman grows.

In addition to the treatment works the massive infrastructure project also involves building 22 individual (mostly underground) pumping stations and laying of over 250 km of pipelines to connect the properties to the system. It will take an estimated four years to complete the project.

Ajman Sewerage Company estimates that the plant will be able to provide up to 35,000 cubic metres of effluent per day for use for irrigation purposes in the Emirate. The water supplied will have been fully treated including a final phase in the process where the effluent will be disinfected.

There are over 40,000 properties in Ajman and an estimated 7000 property owners in the Emirate who will directly benefit from the development of the modern sewerage system.

The Ajman Sewerage (Private) Company Limited is a joint venture company owned by the Government of Ajman, Thames Water, Black and Veatch and Six Construct. Thames Water and Black and Veatch are two world leaders in the provision of wastewater services and infrastructure systems and Six Construct, part of Belgium's Besix, is a leading civil and infrastructure constructor.

Thames Water Middle East will be the operations and maintenance contractor for the duration of the 27.5-year, build, operate and transfer contract whilst Black & Veatch is the engineering, procurement and construction contractor and Six Construct will undertake the civil engineering work on the project.