Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — National Water Company (NWC) is working on finishing the SR260,000 second phase of its strategic water storage project in Makkah that has a capacity of 760,000 cubic meters.



The project comprises four cylindrical tanks that are each 20 meters high, 110 meters in diameter and have a capacity of 190,000 cubic meters.



The company said it has applied a sterilization and rotation system for ensuring the quality of the stored water, and that a test run of the tanks will be carried out at the end of the second quarter of 2016.



Said Alamri, NWC’s Senior Director for Assets and Projects, explained that two-thirds of the project has been completed. the second phase will complement the first phase of this project that has a total capacity of 1.3 million cubic meters and is worth about SR400 million.



“We consider this project to be a successful strategic solution for facing the challenges of managing water demand in the light of the fast increase of Makkah’s population,” he said.



Alamri said NWC has completed a study on the second phase of the strategic water storage project in Sharaye that has a capacity of 1.3 million cubic meters.



These projects will be established in collaboration with the Saline Water Conversion Corporation. After completion of the first and second phases, total strategic storage in Makkah and Masha’er (the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah) will reach more than 4.2 cubic meters. This will mark a huge jump in water security and the region’s ability to face any possible increase in water demand.



He said NWC has additional plans to increase strategic storage in Makkah to 5 million cubic meters after completion of the fourth phase, which alone has a capacity of 1.5 million cubic meters. Upon completion of this phase, Makkah will be able to receive seven days’ worth of water in case of any sudden water shortages.