Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and Belgium-headquartered construction giant Besix Group have started construction and development work on Qatra, a water reuse plant in Sharjah’s Al-Saja’a industrial area that upon completion in January 2020, will produce 5,000m3 of water per day for non-drinking purposes from Al Saja’a Sewerage Treatment Plant’s treated effluent.
Water produced by Qatra will be ideal for industrial and domestic purposes, such as landscaping, and is said to be a sustainable alternative to desalinated water – with four times lower energy consumption in the production process.
Commenting on the project, Shurooq’s executive chairman, HE Marwan Al Sarkal, said: “This initiative underlines our priority to build a sustainable future, while focusing on economic and human development and taking into account our eco-footprint through our partnership with Besix Group.
“This [project] is in line with UAE’s vision to build a sustainable future and use resources optimally.”
Qatra’s general manager, Gurvan Dersel, stressed on the need to reuse water for non-drinking applications and reduce demand for borewell and desalinated water.
“Investments like these provide a new sustainable water-supply source for the community,” Dersel said, adding that Qatra would be the first of the many upcoming alliances between Shurooq and Besix in both wastewater treatment and water reuse.
