UAE | General

Extensive sewer grid to help cope with heavy rain

Building owners have been asked to connect their sewage system to the municipality's pipelines instead of continuing to use septic tanks.

  • By Ashfaq Ahmed, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:00 March 1, 2006
  • Gulf News

Dubai: Building owners have been asked to connect their sewage system to the municipality's pipelines instead of continuing to use septic tanks.

The municipality is spending more than Dh600 million to provide sewage and storm water drainage facilities in new localities. The projects are being carried out in Mirdif, Barsha, Mizhar, Warqa and Muhaisana, and will be completed in 2007.

"All buildings have to connect to the municipality's sewage system but the landlords of buildings in these area are not responding positively to our call," said Fareed Mohammad Saadi, Assistant Director of Drainage and Irrigation Department at the municipality.

He said the municipality has issued notices to landlords.

Saadi said the municipality is also laying storm water channels in the new areas. "We have covered almost 70 per cent of urban areas in Dubai."

Responding to complaints of rainwater flooding the roads, he said the storm water drainage system in Dubai is not designed for immediate clearance of rainwater because it does not rain heavily here.

"It takes six hours for rain water to clear if it rains up to 18 mm continuously," he said. He said the storm water drainage system worked very well during the recent spells of rain.

Abdul Majid Khojasteh, Head of Drainage and Irrigation Construction Unit, said landlords who have rented their property have to pay a minimum Dh10,000 to get a connection to thecivic body's sewage system.

Apart from more than 1,200-km sewer lines, a separate drainage system runs under the city. So far, around 1,020 km of drainage pipelines with 11,000 manholes have been laid.

Saadi advised the public to use the drainage system properly, as it is one of the most essential services and also helps to keep the city clean.

Residents should not wash down solvents, pesticides, paint thinners, engine oil or household cleaning products with hazardous chemicals into the drain or a storm sewer system, he said.

Dubai Municipality is not responsible for flooding in areas developed by private developers, a senior official clarified.

"We do not cater to the sewage and storm water systems in residential and commercial areas such as the Springs, Emirates Hills or Arabian Ranches, which have been developed by private developers," said Saadi. "They have their own network, which is not even connected to the municipality's sewage and drainage system.

"We should not be blamed for flooding in such areas," he said.

Some ongoing sewage and storm water drainage projects:

- Mirdif: Dh125 million

- Barsha: Dh277 million

- Mizhar: Dh60 million

- Warqa: Dh60 million

- Muhaisana: Dh85 million

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