Saudi Arabia's National Water Company (NWC) has begun implementing new water and sanitation projects worth SAR3.6 billion ($959 million) across the kingdom in the prime regions of Riyadh, Madinah and the Eastern Province this month.

 

Announcing the launch of these projects, NWC said its central cluster has begun work on 46 water and sanitation projects in the Riyadh region, with lines and networks of more than 2,900 km, at a total cost of more than SAR1.6 billion. 

 

This comes as part of the company's continuous efforts to build infrastructure in both the water and environmental services sectors, and is based on its initiatives to increase the coverage of the services it provides to customers.

 

According to NWC, the number of water projects being implemented in the city of Riyadh and the nearby areas stands at 23 covering parts of Al Mahdia, Al Rimal, Al Bayan, Al Sharq, Tuwaiq, Al Arid, Banban, Al Rawdah, King Abdulaziz Quarter, Al Hamra, Al Yarmouk, Al Munsiyah, Al Falah, Al Masif, Al Narjis, Arid and Leban districts.

 

Separate water lines and networks have been set up in a number of districts in Riyadh city and parts of Al Majmaa, Al Zulfi, Al Dawadmi, Al Rayn and Al Diriyah governorates, as well as Al Ayina and Al Jubaila centers, covering networks of nearly 2,000 km at a total cost of more than SAR718 million.

 

On the wastewater projects, the Saudi group said it has started implementing 23 projects in the city of Riyadh as well as a number of governorates in the region with over 970 km long network being laid at a total investnment of SAR890 million.

 

NWC's eastern cluster, meanwhile, has started the implementation of 12 projects worth SR1.5 billion to strengthen the components of its system in the Eastern Province. 

 

Through these projects, it aims to boost service coverage and reduce environmental damage to the residents of 50 districts within Dammam city and the governorates of Al Khobar, Al Qatif, Al-Ahsa and Hafr Al-Batin.

 

"The company began implementing its major projects in the city of Dammam and the governorate of Al Bayda, where it started work on Phase Two of the King Fahd Suburb Sanitary Drainage Network Project and related plans worth more than SAR427 million," said a NWC spokesman. 

 

Under this project, NWC will extend the system networks to 357km and establish 5 wastewater lifting stations with a total capacity of 23,808 cu m per day to improve environmental services in the suburbs (fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth) and Al Nada and Amana districts. 

 

In addition, the company started the implementation of a project to replace the main and feeder water lines at a length of 122 kilometers in the districts of Al-Dawasir, Al Adama, Workers City, Al-Amamra, Abdullah Fuad and Al-Souq, at more than 62 million Saudi Riyals, with the aim of improving the quality of the water system in these districts, he stated.

 

In Al Khobar governorate, NWC said it began implementing four projects; the most remarkable of them are two worth a total SAR530 million for sanitation services. 

 

Main lines and feeder networks running over 169km long will be laid out as part of the project along with construction of five sewage-lifting stations.

 

The Saudi group pointed out that it has started the implementation of three projects in the Governorate of Al-Qatif, one of which costs more than SAR250 million to develop existing lift stations, implement sewage lines and networks running 52 km long and upgradation of nine existing sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a total capacity of 283,000 cu m per day.

 

On the waterside, NWC said it is working on a project for expansion of the water network lines and replacement of old valves with modern ones to serve the districts.

 

In the governorate of Al Ahsa, the company started the implementation of two projects, the first of which, is for development of water and wastewater facilities and the implementation of networks running 7,000 m long to serve the Diyar Al Ahsa district. 

 

The company stressed that the package of projects is part of its efforts to strengthen the water distribution system, eliminate environmental damage, and achieve water security and environmental balance. 

 

The NWC's northwest cluster is implementing nine water and sanitation projects across Madinah at a total cost of about SAR500 million in order to boost the coverage of services, operational efficiency as well as improve customer service.

 

These include a project to provide drinking water services to beneficiaries in Al Aaqoul district and Al Awaina project in Madinah as well as another to lay water networks and pipes in Al Suwaidra.

 

In addition to these projects, NWC will implement the main water line running 41.5km long in the third ring road east of Madinah at a cost of more than SAR26.1 million as well as the project to replace water networks and lines in the city of Yanbu at a cost of more than SAR26.8 million.-TradeArabia News Service