Abu Dhabi: Two new pipelines will ensure that about 70 per cent of treated wastewater in the emirate of Abu Dhabi is reused for irrigation and landscaping, an expert said.

Tenders have been issued for the construction of these pipelines, which will together help recycle a further 265,000 cubic metres of water every day, said Dr Mohammad Dawoud, water resources adviser at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD).

“The tenders will be awarded next month [February], and we hope to have the pipelines operational by 2018,” Dr Dawoud told Gulf News.

The reuse of treated wastewater is a key component of the EAD’s plans to reduce the emirate’s reliance on rapidly dwindling groundwater reserves and energy-intensive desalination. The authority announced in 2015 that the emirate’s underground freshwater aquifers would run out within just 50 years if the current rate of extraction is maintained.

These reserves provide about 65 per cent of the water required for irrigation, domestic purposes and human consumption.

Another 35 per cent of the water used in Abu Dhabi comes from desalinating brackish seawater, but the process is extremely energy-intensive and therefore environmentally unsustainable.

“Using recycled wastewater for irrigation is a great alternative, but the lack of infrastructure at present means that 45 per cent of the water treated is simply discharged into the Gulf without being used. This is where these pipelines will come into play,” Dr Dawoud explained.

The emirate currently treats 910,299 cubic metres of wastewater every day that can be used for landscaping and irrigation, and this volume is set to increase by about 10 per cent annually. However, only about 467,800 cubic metres of water are actually reused.

One pipeline will therefore be built alongside the Abu Dhabi-Dubai E11 highway, and when complete, it will provide 140,000 cubic metres of water a day to sites like the Abu Muraikha Forest, the Green Belt and Al Maha Forest. These areas currently require massive volumes of desalinated water. The pipeline is expected to extend for more than 40km.

The second pipeline will be located alongside the Al Ain Truck Road for more than 30km, and the aim is to use it to supply 125,000 cubic metres of water to farms in Al Wathba and Al Nahda.

These areas rely on groundwater reserves at present.

“Discharging treated wastewater into the Gulf, as we are currently forced to do, also deteriorates the quality of marine water due to the remaining elements like sulphur and phosphorus in it. This is why the new pipelines, and the resulting reduced rate of discharge, will also help improve the quality of water in the Gulf,” Dr Dawoud said.