Future Water Resources the Focus of Workshop
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Author: Saudi Aramco News
Released 23 January 2008
DHAHRAN, January 23, 2008 -- Saudi Arabia is known for its abundance of one liquid - oil - and its lack of another - water. So while the Kingdom must work hard to meet the world’s demand for energy, it must also work hard to meet its own demand for water.
Minister of Water and Electricity Abdullah Al-Hosain cuts the ribbon as Abdulaziz F. Al-Khayyal looks on. The two men were speakers at the Saudi Arabian Water Environment Association’s workshop, titled “Project Management of Innovative Water and Wastewater Technologies.”
(Photo by Hadi A. Al-Makayyl)
That’s what more than 500 people came to learn and talk about recently at the Saudi Arabian Water Environment Association’s (SAWEA) workshop, titled “Project Management of Innovative Water and Wastewater Technologies.”
The Minister of Water and Electricity Abdullah Al-Hosain and Saudi Aramco’s senior vice president of Industrial Relations Abdulaziz F. Al-Khayyal were there to talk about water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest producer of desalinated water, Al-Hosain said, with 30 desalination plants pumping out three million cubic meters per day (cmd). It also produces 5.5 million cmd of drinkable water and treats two million cmd of wastewater.
Water demand is expected to exceed 11 million cmd in the next 20 years, he said.
To meet that demand, wastewater collection and treatment will reach more than 5 million cmd in five years using tertiary treatment, which makes it reusable. Sewage treatment services also will be provided to 90 percent of the population in that time, he said.
But production isn’t the only solution: The ministry has distributed more than 33 million free water-conservations kit in two years and has implemented more than 1,300 water and wastewater projects in its efforts to conserve water. The kits can reduce water consumption by 30 percent in households and public buildings, Al-Hosain said.
Working toward the same aims, Saudi Aramco has spent more than $5 billion in 30 years on water and wastewater projects, Al-Khayyal said. The company is building seven industrial water and wastewater projects, at an estimated value of more than $750 million, and six community water and wastewater treatment projects, estimated at more than $200 million.
Saudi Aramco senior vice president of Industrial Relations Abdulaziz F. Al-Khayyal was one of the key participants in the workshop.
Those projects apply innovative technologies, such as ceramic pressure exchangers for reverse osmosis plants and membrane bioreactors, for wastewater treatment. The ceramic pressure exchangers recover 30 percent to 50 percent of the energy required for reverse osmosis while the membrane bioreactors provide superior sewage for reuse, Al-Khayyal said.
“Saudi Aramco strongly believes in wastewater reuse,” he said. “Reusing wastewater saves precious groundwater for use by future generations.”
The company produces 24 million gallons per day of industrial wastewater and 21 million gallons per day of sanitary wastewater, he said. It reuses 20 million gallons of wastewater per day, almost half of what is generated.
Reuse applications include landscape irrigation, sod farming, cooling-tower water and boiler feed-water, which when fully implemented will increase wastewater reuse to more than 90 percent. Al-Khayyal said the goal is to reuse all generated wastewater.
The workshop included presentations and courses on water and wastewater project management, large water and wastewater projects and innovative water treatment technologies.
The workshop was sponsored by Saudi Aramco.