Dubai residents told to use water intelligently

Dubai: Residents in Dubai have been urged to turn off taps while they clean their teeth and to take short showers.

Abdullah Al Hajri, Senior corporate communications manager at Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), said: "The UAE has one of the highest rates of water consumption in the world, at about 136 gallons a day [per person]. That's a very high rate. People should turn off their taps when brushing their teeth and take short showers - you don't need to take a 20-minute shower."

Al Hajri continued that Dewa is working to educate consumers about water consumption in the UAE, but that using less of the resource should be a combined effort between the public, Dubai and Dewa.

"We're not saying that people should go round in dirty cars and not to wash their cars, but it's the way you wash it. Use a bucket instead of a running hose, because this will use less. If you go to a car wash place, they probably have some kind of water recycling system." Dr Mabrouk Methnani of the Dubai R&D centre at Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, suggested that one way to ensure provision of water is to create sustainable solutions to desalination by using solar energy.

"Solar energy is expensive, but it's becoming more feasible now. Wind power could be used, but the capacity is too low compared to solar. Solar energy will change the face of the desert."

The Jebel Ali Desalination Plant is the largest in the world, and has the capacity to produce 300 million cubic metres of water per year.

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