Wednesday 18 / September / 2024
Muscat: Nama Water Services continues working to achieve sustainability in the water sector and ensure water security in the Sultanate of Oman by implementing a package of strategic projects including establishing transmission lines, tanks and water networks in governorates and wilayat that are served by the Company.
Eng. Ahmed Nasser Al Abri, General Manager of Projects for the Central and Western Sectors, said: “The Company implements strategic projects in the water sector in accordance with its vision to be a leading company in water services, and in a way that contributes to achieving sustainability in Oman. In this regard, the Company has implemented several projects that contribute to strengthening the water transmission system and developing the interconnection to ensure water supply service and flexibility of operations.”
Al Abri added that, “Among the most prominent projects that were officially launched and operated is the project of water transmission from the desalination plant in Sohar to Al Dhahirah Governorate, which was opened in 2023 with a total cost of more than RO 150 million. The project includes a line to transport water from the desalination plant in the Wilayat of Sohar to Al Dhahirah Governorate with a total length of 230 kilometers, in addition to the construction of 15 tanks with a storage capacity of up to 451,000 cubic meters.”
He noted that, “The implementation works of the project to enhance the water system between Barka and Sohar desalination plants have also been completed at a total cost of RO 86 million. The project includes laying pipelines with a total length of about 140 kilometers in addition to establishing three pumping stations with an operational capacity of up to 238,000 cubic meters per day from the new water pumping station in Barka towards the main reservoirs in the Oman Logistics Zone and the reservoirs of the Wilayats of Barka, Suwaiq, Musannah, Rustaq and Saham with the possibility of pumping water from the Wilayat of Sohar towards Muscat Governorate.”
“The project aims to achieve water security for all the wilayats of South Al Batinah and North Al Batinah Governorates. In addition, the project paves the way for the implementation of new water network projects in the wilayats of the two governorates and enhances the interconnection between desalination plants in Qurayyat, Al Ghubrah, Barka and Sohar,” Al Abri added.
“The implementation works of the project to enhance the water transmission system to Al Dakhiliyah Governorate have also been completed at a cost exceeding RO 128 million. The project includes a new water transmission pipeline with a total length of 173 kilometers starting from the main pumping station in Al Khoudh in the Wilayat of Al Seeb, passing through the wilayats of Al Dakhiliyah Governorate. In addition, the project includes the design and implementation of a strategic reservoir with a capacity of 350,000 cubic meters between the wilayats of Samail and Izki, which is of great importance in enhancing the reliability of water supply operations and strengthening the interconnection between the various governorates through the flexibility of water supply in both directions between the Governorates of Muscat and Al Dakhiliyah. This is in addition to 5 balancing tanks in the pumping stations with storage capacities ranging from 12,500 to 2,000 cubic meters and a storage capacity of up to 90,000 cubic meters. The project also includes the design and implementation of 5 new pumping stations with varying capacities. The project aims to enhance the current water transport system to meet the increasing demand for water in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate,” Al Abri said.
Al Abri further elaborated that within the framework of these strategic projects, work is underway to complete the project to enhance the water transmission system between South and North Al Sharqiyah Governorates. The implementation of this project has reached advanced stages at a total cost of RO 125 million. The project starts from the new water desalination plant in Asilah in the Wilayat of Jalan Bani Bu Ali in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate and ends in the Wilayat of Al Mudhaibi in North Al Sharqiyah Governorate. The project supplies the wilayats of the two governorates by extending pipelines with a total length of 312 kilometers and constructing 4 new pumping stations in addition to strengthening 3 existing stations and constructing 17 water tanks along the transmission line with a total storage capacity of up to 265,000 cubic meters. The project also includes all civil, mechanical and electrical works, and the systems required for monitoring and controlling the project facilities.
Among the strategic projects that Nama Water Services is currently implementing is the long-term water solutions project for the Wilayat of Al Seeb, at a cost of RO 45 million, with a completion rate of 46%. The project is expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2025.
The General Manager of Projects for the Central and Western Sectors explained that the project includes construction works for water tanks in Al Khoudh 6, Al Rusayl, and Al Khoudh Village. He pointed out that the project includes transmission and distribution lines with different diameters ranging between 1600 mm, 1200 mm, 1000 mm with a total length of approximately 34.5 kilometers. Further, the project also includes the construction of 13 strategic tanks with a storage capacity exceeding 110,000 cubic meters, with 7 tanks in Al Khoudh 6 with a capacity of 50,000 cubic meters each, 3 tanks in the Rusayl area with a capacity of 35,000 cubic meters each, and 3 tanks in New Al Khoudh with a capacity of 33,500 cubic meters each. The project also includes the construction of a main pumping station and sterilization, control and monitoring systems.
Al Abri pointed out the strategic dimension of the project, which is represented in enhancing the storage capacity, transportation system and water distribution for the entire Wilayat of Al Seeb is to ensure the sustainability of potable water until 2050, taking into account the water supply to Sultan Haitham City and the new expansions in the Wilayat. Moreover, the project achieves a local added value of RO 10 million so far through the use of local materials, the employment of national manpower, and the enhancement of the contribution of small and medium enterprises (SME), whose total business in the project amounted to RO 3 million.
