Work begins on Ajman sewage plant
01 April 2003
Construction work has begun on the main sewage treatment works on the Dh515 million ($140.3 milllion) sewerage treatment project in Ajman.
The scheme is one of the biggest construction projects undertaken in Ajman and includes building a new sewage treatment plant on the outskirts of the city, 22 individual and mostly underground pumping stations and laying more than 250 km of pipeline. The work is slated for full completion in August 2005.
Treated effluent from the works will be used for irrigation and greening of the emirate, says Bob Taylor, general manager of concession firm Ajman Sewerage (Private) Company Limited.
"To ensure that the estimated 9,000 property owners in Ajman can fully benefit from this system we are now contacting every property owner in the emirate to ask them to complete a registration form that will ensure their property is connected to the modern sewerage system now being created."
More than 900 people will be employed in building the treatment works, with 50 working at the plant full-time in the future. The initial phase of the works is expected to come on line in August 2004 when partial treatment of sewage will be possible, Taylor says.
The plant has been designed to handle up to 49,000 cu m of waste per day in the initial phase, to serve a population of approximately 245,000. It has also been designed with the capability to expand in the future to cope with a population of up to 380,000 people.
Taylor estimates that the plant will be able to provide up to 35,000 cu m 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.
In addition to the treatment works, the massive infrastructure project also involves building 22 individual (mostly underground) pumping stations and laying more than 250 km of pipelines to connect the properties to the system.
Thames Water Middle East will be the operations and maintenance contractor for the duration of the build, operate and transfer (BOT) contract while Black & Veatch is the engineering, procurement and construction contractor. Six Construct will undertake the civil engineering work on the project.
The start of construction follows the recent close of a financing package worth Dh285 million ($77.67 million). The 14-year loan was lead arranged by a group comprising Bayerische Hypo-und Vereinsbank, Bayerische Landesbank, Mashreq Bank and United Arab Bank.
The remainder will be covered by equity and payment of connection fees.
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