DUBAI SPORTS CITY: WATER TREATMENT & REUSE

The challenge

Dubai Sports City (DSC) is a 4,600,000 m² mixed-use city in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Ultimately, Dubai Sports City will feature four stadia: a 60,000-seat multi-purpose outdoor stadium for rugby, soccer and track and field events, a 25,000-seat capacity dedicated cricket stadium, a 10,000-seat multi-purpose indoor arena for hard court games, ice hockey, concerts and other events, and a rugby stadium for 5,000 spectators.

In addition to the sporting facilities, Dubai Sports City consists of residential and commercial developments, together with related amenities, including schools, medical facilities, hotels, community centres, and entertainment venues.

The demand for treated effluent and polished water is likely to increase significantly in the short-term. DSC relies heavily on the production of high quality treated effluent from the sewage treatment plant (STP) to irrigate the golf course, sports grounds, parks and gardens. DSC also owns a reverse osmosis (RO) plant (800 m³/day) adjoining the STP in order to supply polished ‘sweet water’ to the canal and chiller units.

Veolia’s solution

Joining forces for a greener environment

DSC wishes to enhance the condition and capacity of their STP, their reverse osmosis plant and related assets, and to monetize their assets’ value.

Therefore, Dubai Sports City and Moalajah have joined forces to recycle wastewater and literally help to create a greener environment.

The local operations and maintenance company Moalajah, which is a joint-venture of Veolia and Besix, has been appointed to manage, maintain and enhance wastewater facilities within the 50 million sqft mixed-use development for a period of 10 years.

Moalajah will operate and look after DSC’s own sewerage treatment plant, and the resultant high quality recycled wastewater and treated effluent will be used to irrigate the vast array of sports facilities and gardens within the community. The treated water will also be available for use by companies and communities outside of DSC, as required.

The benefits

Moalajah actions will enhance asset condition and improve the performance.

Moalajah was asked to take it over on an urgent basis because the plant required a substantial amount of mechanical and electrical remedial works to reach its assumed performance levels.

It will also provide tailored customer services to tanker companies so that a sufficient number of tankers can discharge at the plant to meet the increasing demand.