Doha
Qatar's water storage capacity will be raised to 2,400mn gallons by 2026 with the construction of 24 mega reservoirs in five different parts of the country, the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) announced.
The ambitious project that will cost a whopping QR17bn has been set in motion with the awarding of the contracts. The new reservoirs are coming up in Umm Baraka, Umn Salal, Rawdat al-Rashid, Abu Nakhla and Al-Thumama.
The first phase of the project includes laying of nearly 650km of pipelines besides the construction of the reservoirs, each of which will be spread over an area of one square kilometer. The reservoirs are unique in type and design.
Considered to be the largest expansion work ever taken place in the country's water sector, the new projects form part of Kahramaa's strategy to ensure uninterrupted supply of water to the growing needs of the country's residents, a statement from the corporation said. The new projects will also help ensure Qatar's water security in the event of an emergency.
Each of the new reservoirs will have a capacity of 100mn gallons and they are the largest concrete reservoirs in the world, Kahramaa said.
With the completion of the project, Kahramaa's goal of providing sustainable electricity and water for better living of the country's residents will be realised , the corporation communique said.
The new projects aim to meet the strategic water requirements until 2026.
The corporation said the locations of the new reservoirs were selected on the basis of their proximity to desalination facilities at Ras Lafan in the north and Ras Abu Fontas in the south. They will also be connected to existing water networks to meet the growing requirements of the people.
Of the contractors selected for implementing the work, about 55% are local companies.
The works include excavation and landscape, laying of main pipelines and accompanying pipelines and construction of the reservoirs.
Meanwhile, Kahramaa has launched efforts for the construction of the second phase of the water project, which is targeted to meet the requirements until 2036.
Under the proposed programme, more reservoirs will be built and the storage capacity raised to 3,800mn gallons.
