Dubai Municipality has commissioned the Jebel Ali Hazardous Waste Treatment Facility built by Veolia Water Technologies (VWT), which is set to treat 600 cubic metres of hazardous liquid waste per day.
A statement from global resource management major Veolia, owners of VWT, said the facility is part of the Dubai Integrated Waste Management Master Plan 2030, and the Dubai civic body selected VWT in June 2016 to complete the supply, installation, and commissioning of the plant. The move was made in readiness for the increase in hazardous liquid waste that is anticipated to be produced due to new and expanding industries in the emirate.
Thierry Froment, COO, Veolia Water Technologies, Middle East, said: Dubai is a rapidly booming market and the fast pace of urbanisation exponentially increases pollutants in the environment. It is critical for governments and organisations to have a sustainable and mature waste management system. We are proud of our partnership with Dubai Municipality as it leads the way with the UAEs first-of-its-kind hazardous waste management treatment facility.
The new plant can treat wastewater that has Industrial, oils, heavy metals, and acidic and alkaline pollutants. It has the daily capacity to treat 600 cubic meters of hazardous fluids a volume equivalent to 8,000 full household bathtubs which will be transported to the plant by dozens of tankers trucks, said Veolia.
The facility treats wastewater using appropriate process lines in dedicated plants, based on their chemical composition and origin. With the ability to handle the variation in flow and load, the centre also provides tertiary treatment using Reverse Osmosis (RO) system, enabling Dubai Municipality to reuse almost 75% of the treated wastewater for irrigation. The reject water from the RO is sent to evaporation ponds to evaporate the waste water which makes the plant a Zero Liquid Discharge facility.
Abdul Majeed Saifaie, director of the Waste Management Department at Dubai Municipality, said: Dubai Municipality continues to stay true to its commitment in building a sustainable future for the emirate and its residents while striving to use resources in the most efficient way. Veolia has supported us in achieving an enhanced waste management system at a time when there is a growing concern about the treatment of hazardous waste. We are very pleased with our partnership with Veolia, a globally renowned environmental partner, which has helped us become a role model to municipalities around the Middle East.
