Page 11 - AW SEPOCT 2019

WORLD NEWS

Rationalizing water consumption

gypt has set up a plan to rationalize water consumption constructed, to be completed by the end of 2019.
Eand maximize the use of available water resources, as Gazzar said that a document was signed to rationalize
part of government efforts to preserve its drinking water. water consumption, which includes all ministries with their
Egyptian Minister of Housing Assem al-Gazzar said plan affiliated institutions, to implement technology produced
includes the provision of alternative sources of drinking by the Arab Organization for Industrialization to save water
water, through desalination of water in the coastal consumption.
governorates, and establishing stations for the extraction He explained that this technology works with water
of underground water. flow control technology and pressure controls. This cutting-
The plan also seeks to minimize drinking water losses in edge technology has been tested in some government
all areas, through rationalization of water consumption and institutions and utilities, and results showed it saved about
the use of special pieces on taps to save water, alongside 45 percent of consumption.
developing a plan to educate citizens to rationalize Gazzar said that the Ministry of Housing is cooperating
consumption. with some private sector companies in establishing
Another facet of the plan is re-using treated wastewater agricultural projects or forests irrigated from treated
in some crops, through expanding the construction of wastewater.
sewage treatment plants in Upper Egypt and raising the He pointed out that there is a pilot farm in al-Jabal al-
efficiency of treatment plants. Asfar, with an area of 300 feddans (a unit of area) that is
Twenty-three desalination plants are in construction, being irrigated with treated wastewater produced from
in addition to 58 existing ones, he pointed out. Gazzar the al-Jabal al-Asfar treatment plant, which will cultivate
explained that 26 wastewater treatment plants have been many trees, including trees for wood, oil trees for bio-fuels,
completed in Upper Egypt and 26 other plants are being and medicinal oil trees. AW

Asian Water SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 9