US $130m has been approved by the European Investment Bank to finance the upgrade and expansion of the Alexandria West waste water treatment plant project.
The treatment plant sits on a 13.6 hectare site in Naga’El Arab at Alexandria. Currently with a capacity of 460,000 m³ per day, it carries out wastewater treatment in only one stage: decantation with primary sedimentation. The water is then evacuated via the Al-Omoum drainage canal, adjacent to the port of Alexandria.
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Alexandria West waste water treatment plant project
The Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Development (MHUUD) who revealed the report said that the project involves the upgrade of the plant from primary to secondary treatment and the expansion of the capacity from 460,000m3 to 680,000m3 per day.
The project is planned to be implemented through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) under design, construct, finance, operate and maintain (DBFOM) contract basis. At the end of the period of operation, the plant is to be transferred back to the Government of Egypt (GoE).
EnviroConsult has been appointed as the consultant for the project. In September 2011, Dewa Water and Energy was appointed to upgrade the Sludge Dewatering facilities of the plant. The total cost of the West Alexandria wastewater treatment plant extension project is US $199m.
“The Alexandria West WWP will have an important impact on the lives of people living in Egypt’s second largest city. As the largest international financier to the water sector worldwide, we are proud to provide both financing as well as needed expertise to implement projects,” said EU ambassador to Egypt Ivan Surkoš.
Where does the waste water go? I believe it should be reused for irrigation purposes outside, south of the city for example. It is wholly shameful to waste such a precious resource as water, even if sewage waste water.