REUSING THE KINGDOM’S PRECIOUS WATER RESOURCES

A first-of-its-kind mobile wastewater treatment and reuse plant in Rabigh

A decentralized wastewater treatment and reuse unit invented at KAUST has been established at the National Water Company’s (NWC) Wastewater Treatment plant in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia. Its use of plug-and-play modular technology to treat and convert wastewater into reusable water for areas not connected to the centralized sewer network is an innovative way to replace traditional techniques.

The first of its kind in the Kingdom, the facility was developed by Environmental Science and Engineering Professor Pascal Saikaly and Muhammad Ali, a former research scientist at KAUST. Its creation stemmed from a fiveyear research project, in partnership with the NWC and the Water Desalination and Reuse Center. The scientists founded KAUST spin-off company Al-Miyah Solutions, which specializes in decentralized water-recycling technologies.

Conventional biological wastewater treatment plants use micro-organisms in the form of small, suspended aggregates known as bio-flocs to break down and remove pollutants in wastewater. Bio-flocs must then be separated from treated water in a separate tank, requiring a large surface area. At present, around 40% of households in Saudi Arabia do not have access to a centralized sewer network, and their wastewater is collected and transported to centralized wastewater treatment plants by trucks – a method that is costly and polluting.

Saikaly and Ali developed a technology that uses an aerobic granular sludge process to enrich the micro-organisms to form large, suspended aggregates called bio-granules that can be separated and removed more efficiently and easily from treated water in a single tank, and with more efficient removal of pollutants. This produces high-quality water, cuts operation costs and reduces the amount of space required for operations. Non-potable water for irrigation, horticulture and industry is also produced through the use of a gravity-driven membrane filtration system and ultraviolet light.

The unit can treat 100 cubic meters per day of wastewater to provide clean water for 1,0001,500 people, reducing energy demand by around 50%. The project aligns with the national aim to achieve 70% energy reuse by 2030 and generate new job opportunities.

MEWA

“In line with Vision 2030, it is important that every household has access to sanitation. This technology will hopefully play an important role in achieving this goal.”

Abdul Aziz bin Muhareb Al-Shaibani, Deputy Minister for Water