Abu Dhabi’s ambitious 2030 government-backed development plan - that seeks, through key infrastructure, real estate, tourism and financial targets - to cement its place as a global hub has moved a step closer to reality thanks to Halcrow.
As the owner’s engineer, Halcrow is overseeing the construction of two new wastewater treatment plants - Wathba 2 and Allahamah - that will service Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. The facilities are designed to treat 300,000 m3/d and 130,000 m3/d of sewage to a rigorously high standard. A conventional treatment process was implemented, which includes preliminary, primary and secondary treatments (activated sludge with secondary settlement) for biological nutrient removal, followed by filtration and disinfection.
Working for a joint venture of Veolia, Besix and ADWEA – who in turn report to the Abu Dhabi Sewage Services Company (ADSSC) - Halcrow’s Abu Dhabi-based team are overseeing the project which kicked off in 2009. Due for completion - on time and to budget - in 2011, a central tenet of the project is to ensure the sustainable and economic treatment of wastewater suitable for unrestricted reuse.
And with an eye on educating future generations about the importance of such critical infrastructure developments, plans are afoot to create a museum charting both its construction and ongoing operation.
A further benefit will be the creation of 80 full-time jobs to run it, while an environmentally-sensitive reclaimed land project - rich in indigenous flora and fauna - is destined to transform the landscape around the facility.
Halcrow diligently ensured that the plan progressed meeting all of its quality, cost and timeframe goals against the contract specification.
Design reviews and site supervision were undertaken in the civil, structural, electrical, mechanical and process disciplines.