The National Water Company (NWC) has implemented a series of development projects in Makkah as part of its strategic plans to develop the infrastructure and increase the operational efficiency of both the water and environment services sectors in line with the highest quality and performance standards. The projects were supervised and monitored by Makkah Emir and Adviser to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Prince Khaled Al-Faisal. Abdullah Ahmad Hassanen, a senior project executive, explained that the NWC has implemented in Makkah three main water pipeline projects worth SR146 million and 45 km in total length. These are in addition to 11 water network projects worth SR506 million and 975 km in total length, and 47,850 house connections serving Al-Omrah, Al-Tanim, Al-Awali, Al-Sharaya, Al-Ghassalah, Al-Kaiyah and Al-Iskan suburbs. The purpose of these projects is to increase coverage and eliminate the need for water trucks. Said Bin Mohammed Al-Amri, MTCBU's Senior Manager for Assets and Projects Services, said NWC's projects will increase strategic storage capacity. Stage 1 began with the awarding of two storage projects worth SR430 million that have a total capacity of 1.3 million cubic meters. The first project involves the building of four tanks worth about SR260 million and with a total capacity of 760,000 cubic meters. Two tanks have been completed and entered into service and the whole stage will be completed by the end of the third quarter of this year. The second project shall start in the third quarter of 2016 and have a total capacity of 560,000 cubic meters. Makkah's storage capacity will then reach 2.92 million cubic meters. Other stages, worth about SR2.5 billion, shall be completed according to a planned schedule to reach the targeted capacity. Al-Amri said NWC has implemented eight main wastewater pipeline projects worth SR559 million. They are 63 km in total length and include more than 16,000 new house connections. In addition, two main 63 km wastewater pipelines worth SR220 million have been installed to serve Al-Omrah, Al-Tanim, Al-Awali, Al-Sharaya, Al-Ghassalah, Al-Kaiyah, Al-Iskan, Al-Shawkiyah, Jabal Al-Nur, Al-Mohammediyah and Al-Khayat suburbs. Al-Amri said NWC has built a SR27 million influent pump station in Al-Sharaya with a capacity of 140,000 cubic meters daily. In addition, NWC has raised the capacity of the wastewater triple treatment plant in Hada to reach 250,000 cubic meters daily and another triple treatment plant was built in Arana, also with a daily capacity of 250,000 cubic meters.
