4 Lec - water pollution-41-53.pdf

Water status in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia •Harsh weather conditions, a high evaporation rate and limited rainfall means KSA does not have any permanent water bodies. •Deep groundwater aquifers and desalination are the main water resources. • Although more than 97% of the population has access to fre...

Water status in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia •Harsh weather conditions, a high evaporation rate and limited rainfall means KSA does not have any permanent water bodies. •Deep groundwater aquifers and desalination are the main water resources. • Although more than 97% of the population has access to fresh water in KSA • Water sector has several key issues. • Absence of reliable renewable water resources, • Exhausted groundwater aquifers, • Unsustainable water use in agriculture • High water losses. Surface water • Surface runoff at dams is the main surface water resource in KSA. • The recorded average rainfall in 2019 was 59 mm, and the surface runoff at dams was estimated at 970 million cubic metres (MCM). • There are 522 dams around the country, with a capacity of 2.3 billion cubic metres (BCM) to facilitate the storage and recharge of surface runoff. • During the last two decades, the water table in this aquifer has fallen by 60 meters due to heavy use by the agricultural and domestic sectors. Desalinated seawater • Accounting for 18% of the global production by the end of 2017, KSA is among the top producers of desalinated water. • There are 35 desalination plants on the western and eastern coasts. • Nearly 70% of the national water supply comes from desalination. Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) • It is considered the largest producer of desalinated water and owns the majority of desalination plants in KSA, accounting for 73% of the total production capacity. • To meet the potable water demand, which is expected to be 8.5 MCM/d by 2025, the SWCC is aiming to increase its installed production capacity to around 8.8 MCM/d by 2030. Wastewater Treatment • The overall quantity of municipal wastewater production increased due to population growth. • Wastewater is treated in a total of 99 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). • The amount of treated wastewater (TWW) reused in 2019 amounted to 4.9 MCM/d, which is equivalent to 17.26% of the total TWW quantities • The amount of TWW is predicted to grow about 4% annually between 2025 and 2050. Total water demands in KSA increased • Urban (domestic and commercial) purposes, • Industrial purposes and • Agricultural purposes.[ Water Infrastructure in KSA • Water and sanitary networks • Dams • Desalination plants • Waste Water treatment plants Ministries • Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture • National Water Company (NWC) • Saudi Water Partnership Company • Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) • General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection • Further, KSA depends heavily on seawater desalination to fulfil its increasing demands. • However, desalination is costly and unsustainable, accounting for 1020% of the country’s energy consumption. • The low water costs paid by end-users are equivalent to 5-10% of the actual production costs in the public sector, which has led to irrational water usage. National Water Strategy • MEWA developed the Saudi National Water Strategy 2030. • The strategy’s main goal is to achieve ‘a sustainable water sector • Safeguarding the natural resources and the environment of the Kingdom and providing cost-effective supply and high-quality services’. References •National Water Strategy (mewa.gov.sa) •Saudi Arabia Water Report - Fanack Water • Textbook of preventive and social medicine. KA Park,26th edition. Bhanot Publisher, Jabalpur, India 2022. •Maxcy-Rosenau-Last Public Health & Preventive Medicine. Edited by Wallace R. McGraw Hill Professional Publishers. 15th Edition. ISBN-10: 52 Thank You