A new QR3.63 billion sewage treatment plant in Umm Salal Ali has come online, processing up to 245,000 cubic meters of sewage per day.

The Doha North Sewage Treatment Works, located some 25km north of Doha, began running in December and produces “high-quality reclaimed water for reuse in irrigation purposes,” according to public works authority Ashghal.

The plant is the first in Qatar to use techniques such as ultrafiltration and ultra-violet technology to treat the sewage water.

Its opening comes as Qatar rapidly increases its use of treated sewage water, from irrigation and green spaces to cooling and construction purposes, an Ashghal official previously said.

This will allow Qatar to save some of its desalinated water for emergencies or use when treated waste water is not available, he added.

During a workshop in November, the works authority said it is expecting to increase the capacity of treatment plants from 183 million cubic meters to 366 million cubic meters over the next five years.

New developments include a sewage treatment plant in Al Thakhira, an expansion of a plant in the Industrial Area and a project in southern Doha.

Picnicking space

The second phase of the Doha North Sewage Treatment Works project is nearing completion and includes the construction of a Thermal Drying Plant (TDP) that processes sludge for safe disposal.

In a statement, Ashghal said the sludge is turned into dried pellets that are bagged and stored for distribution.

Two of the thermal dryers are expected to be handed over in Q2 of 2016, while the other two are expected to be handed over in fall of this year.

According to Ashghal, the entire project has an odor control system and a built-in “buffer zone” that includes 95,000 trees, as well as picnic areas and a bird-watching lagoon.

Keppel Seghers Engineering Singapore LTD is in charge of the design, build and operation of the plant.

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