Dubai bus depot now recycles all of its waste water

A bus depot in Dubai is now recycling 100 per cent of its waste water, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced.

"The 100 per cent recycling rate of waste water at Al Rawiyya Bus Depot is massive, considering the amount of water consumed by the station annually. In 2020, the station consumed 12 million gallons. The depot saved 90 per cent of its monthly water consumption bill — dropping from one million to 100,000 gallons per month," said Marwan Al Zarooni, director of Maintenance and Services, Public Transport Agency, RTA.

“The plant treated about 5.8 million gallons of water and used it to irrigate the landscaped area of the depot, which has become a model of biodiversity and the protection of the environment from emissions. It has also significantly reduced the costs of purchasing and transporting water, which led to the recovery of the project costs in the first year of operation. It also contributed to reducing carbon emissions by more than 160 tonnes during the first six months of the trial operation.”

The RTA said it has “stepped up” the transformation of its bus depots into environmentally-friendly stations by recycling the waste water.

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"Wastewater and its disposal are one of the key challenges facing the industrial and housing sectors. This water contains many pollutants, which can often be dangerous, such as heavy metals and harmful bacteria, salts that contribute significantly to salinizing the soil and increasing its alkalinity, rendering it unsuitable for agriculture. The success of the plant in recycling water has automatically addressed the challenge of the lack of green places in the plant caused by the lack of water and tree planting in the area, by providing surplus treated water to irrigate the landscaped areas,” Al Zarouni added.

• Dubai