The Dubai Boom's Underside: Sewage Woes
#1
The Dubai Boom's Underside: Sewage Woes
From the Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1212...googlenews_wsj
This Persian Gulf sheikdom, in the middle of a massive building and tourism boom, has a big sewage problem.
By one estimate, some $300 billion in new projects are going up in Dubai in the next 10 years -- including the world's tallest building and a man-made archipelago of luxury homes on islands shaped like palm trees.
Every day, hundreds of tanker trucks line up for almost two miles at the three approaches to Dubai's treatment plant, to dump sewage.
But Dubai's single, 30-year-old sewage-treatment plant isn't keeping up. Sewage output here is rising by 25% a year. That has officials in this city-state, one of seven emirates that make up the UAE, scrambling for innovative places to store the waste, or ways to put it to good use.
<<snip>>
This Persian Gulf sheikdom, in the middle of a massive building and tourism boom, has a big sewage problem.
By one estimate, some $300 billion in new projects are going up in Dubai in the next 10 years -- including the world's tallest building and a man-made archipelago of luxury homes on islands shaped like palm trees.
Every day, hundreds of tanker trucks line up for almost two miles at the three approaches to Dubai's treatment plant, to dump sewage.
But Dubai's single, 30-year-old sewage-treatment plant isn't keeping up. Sewage output here is rising by 25% a year. That has officials in this city-state, one of seven emirates that make up the UAE, scrambling for innovative places to store the waste, or ways to put it to good use.
<<snip>>
Last edited by Bob; May 31st 2008 at 11:18 pm. Reason: copyright infringement
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 188
Re: The Dubai Boom's Underside: Sewage Woes
From the Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1212...googlenews_wsj
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Last edited by Bob; May 31st 2008 at 11:18 pm.
#3
Re: The Dubai Boom's Underside: Sewage Woes
this is horrible, i've seen those lorries queuing up to get to the sewerage plant...it's surely only going to get worse?
MM, xx
MM, xx
#4
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 188
Re: The Dubai Boom's Underside: Sewage Woes
The only way of dealing with this effectively is to install a network of deep sewers and to build a lot more sewage treatment plants. But given the local culture, when will this problem be recognised by the local authorities and if it eventually is, will they be prepared to take on the massive logistical problems and costs involved?
#5
Soupy twist
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,271
Re: The Dubai Boom's Underside: Sewage Woes
When you consider that developers aren't even under any compulsion to install proper storm drains - even though Dubai experiences torrential rains and subsequent flooding in winter - I wouldn't hold my breath.
Apart from when driving past public sprinklers, of course.
Apart from when driving past public sprinklers, of course.
#6
Re: The Dubai Boom's Underside: Sewage Woes
Secondary treated effluent also contains high concentrations of bacteria of all types, including pathogenic ones. Spray watering of grassed areas only results in abut a 3 log reduction in bacteria, whereas grass fed by an underground watering system is quite safe for kids to play on due to a 6 to 7 log reduction in the concentrations of bacteria, microbes, cysts etc.
I for one hold my breath when passing areas being actively sprayed.
#7
Account Closed
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,028
Re: The Dubai Boom's Underside: Sewage Woes
I rest my case about how bloody superficial Dubai really is.
#8
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 13,553
Re: The Dubai Boom's Underside: Sewage Woes
The treated sewage effluent that is used for landscaped areas of Dubai is certainly not "tertiary-treated" sewage effluent as stated by Mrs. Abdooli and, most likely, has only received received secondary treatment (e.g., activated sludge process and final settlement to remove solids). Secondary treatment of sewage results in a reasonably oxidised effluent but a poorly nitrified. The latter is clearly discernible by the pungent smell (mostly reduced ammoniacal compounds) emanating from landscaped or grassed areas where this effluent is used for watering. To get rid of the smell, only tertiary treated effluent should be used.
Secondary treated effluent also contains high concentrations of bacteria of all types, including pathogenic ones. Spray watering of grassed areas only results in abut a 3 log reduction in bacteria, whereas grass fed by an underground watering system is quite safe for kids to play on due to a 6 to 7 log reduction in the concentrations of bacteria, microbes, cysts etc.
I for one hold my breath when passing areas being actively sprayed.
Secondary treated effluent also contains high concentrations of bacteria of all types, including pathogenic ones. Spray watering of grassed areas only results in abut a 3 log reduction in bacteria, whereas grass fed by an underground watering system is quite safe for kids to play on due to a 6 to 7 log reduction in the concentrations of bacteria, microbes, cysts etc.
I for one hold my breath when passing areas being actively sprayed.
MacScot, that wasn't pleasant - but I suspect it is something that had to be said - like at HH's office for example........
#11
Re: The Dubai Boom's Underside: Sewage Woes
The treated sewage effluent that is used for landscaped areas of Dubai is certainly not "tertiary-treated" sewage effluent as stated by Mrs. Abdooli and, most likely, has only received received secondary treatment (e.g., activated sludge process and final settlement to remove solids). Secondary treatment of sewage results in a reasonably oxidised effluent but a poorly nitrified. The latter is clearly discernible by the pungent smell (mostly reduced ammoniacal compounds) emanating from landscaped or grassed areas where this effluent is used for watering. To get rid of the smell, only tertiary treated effluent should be used.
Secondary treated effluent also contains high concentrations of bacteria of all types, including pathogenic ones. Spray watering of grassed areas only results in abut a 3 log reduction in bacteria, whereas grass fed by an underground watering system is quite safe for kids to play on due to a 6 to 7 log reduction in the concentrations of bacteria, microbes, cysts etc.
I for one hold my breath when passing areas being actively sprayed.
Secondary treated effluent also contains high concentrations of bacteria of all types, including pathogenic ones. Spray watering of grassed areas only results in abut a 3 log reduction in bacteria, whereas grass fed by an underground watering system is quite safe for kids to play on due to a 6 to 7 log reduction in the concentrations of bacteria, microbes, cysts etc.
I for one hold my breath when passing areas being actively sprayed.
How long before we have a cholera outbreak?
N.
#15
Re: The Dubai Boom's Underside: Sewage Woes
So essentially it's been strained and sieved then the "water" is pumped and sprayed out over the grass with lots of unpleasant bacteria and microbes being spread out around the place and likely up poor passing pedestrians noses?
How long before we have a cholera outbreak?
N.
How long before we have a cholera outbreak?
N.
Perhaps the powers to be are using tertiary treatment (I don't know). If so, then the sewage treatment works are probably overloaded as evidenced by the poor quality of spray irrigation waters applied (e.g. it smells).