RIYADH, 2 October 2006 — A leading Saudi water exploration expert says that Jeddah’s water crisis has stemmed from the region’s water desalination plants’ inability to keep pace with their industrialization program.
Dr. Riaz Ahmed, the technical adviser and ground water exploration manager at Abunayyan Drilling Co, disclosed the information to Arab News saying he hoped that the new water company that is being set up under the instructions of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah would take prompt measures to enhance the water desalination capacity and also encourage the private sector to participate in this field.
The problem, according to him, could be addressed at three levels — by adding more modules to the water desalination plants; by making use of the ground water reserves that can last 20 years or more; by recycling wastewater for irrigation and cleaning purpose thus easing pressure on the available water reserves.
Dr. Ahmed, who invented a cementation device in 2004 to increase the life span of a well by 25 to 30 percent, said it is necessary to enhance the capacity of the desalination plants by adding more modules.
“It is not easy to tap ground water reserves, because it’s not a permanent solution. What is important is adding more modules to the water desalination plants. The Water Ministry is also exploring the possibility of recharging aquifers to improve the ground water situation by transferring water from one aquifer to another,” he said.
The official said treatment of wastewater should be the top priority of the ministry. However, the issue has only begun getting attention recently with the development of Riyadh River created by recycling industrial wastewater into a lake, which attracts migratory birds during winter.
Referring to the Jeddah area’s water desalination capacity, he said the problem there is that ground water reserves are limited.
Dr. Ahmed added that it was important that the private sector should play an active role in the water sector and that there should be greater investment in setting up desalination plants on a BOT (build, operate, transfer) basis. The government should encourage the private sector to come forward and lend a helping hand. He hoped that the new water company that will be set up soon will encourage private sector participation in the water production and treatment sector.
“The government alone cannot shoulder the entire responsibility. The international trend is to involve the private sector,” he said.
Asked about the cost of drilling water, he said it is SR7 per cubic meter for desalinating seawater as against less than SR1 per cubic meter for drilling well water. “In a critical situation, they can use the ground water reserves. The ground water situation is not that bad and can supply water for the next 10 to 20 years.”
The company has drilled two water wells near Janadriya, the site of the annual heritage festival organized by the National Guard. They have also signed a contract with Prince Sultan Hospital for drilling two wells, of which one will be a back-up facility.
According to Feheid Al-Sharief, governor of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), Saudi Arabia is the world’s biggest producer of desalinated water with total daily production of more than three million cubic meters of desalinated water.
He said the Kingdom needs an additional six million cubic meters of water per day over the next 20 years due to the population increase and urban development.
