KUWAIT CITY, March 29: Director of Operations and Maintenance of Treatment Plants in the Sanitary Engineering Sector of the Ministry of Public Works, Engineer Ali Abu Al-Banat, said maintaining the sustainability of the sanitation system in the country needs 50 million dinars annually to protect the environment and the continuity of the production of treated water according to international environmental standards and distributing it to the beneficiaries.

He said the cost includes the implementation of ongoing works, including operating contracts, a preventive maintenance program for fixed and mobile stations, future projects and other works. Engineer Abu Al-Banat said, in an interview with Al-Seyassah daily that the sanitary engineering sector plays a major role in bringing about comprehensive development in the country thanks to the support of the ministry’s officials, headed by Minister of Public Works, Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Dr. Rana Al-Faris and the Undersecretary of the Ministry, Engineer Ismail Al- Failakawi.

The Assistant Undersecretary for Sanitary Engineering Sector, Engineer Walid Al-Ghanim, believes in the important and strategic role that the sector plays in supporting the development process in the country in the pursuit of the Kuwait Vision 2035.

He explained the sector is in the process of implementing two projects that are among the most important and ambitious projects in the country that will enable the sector to achieve its strategy until 2045, the first is the expansion of Umm Al-Hayman sewage plant with an estimated productivity of 700 thousand meters per day of treated water in partnership between the government, international companies and the citizen.

The financial and legal approval of the project is being done, at the same time work is ongoing and continuing to operate and maintain the southern stations under the responsibility of the investor until the construction and operation of the station is completed. Abu Al-Banat indicated the second strategic project which the sector is seeking to implement is the North Kabd Station with integrated systems whose daily productivity is estimated at one million cubic meters of treated water with advanced technology, as the contract is currently being prepared in cooperation and coordination with the concerned authority in addition to the operation and maintenance contracts concluded with the contractors on the existing plants and the continuity of producing treated water to preserve the environment.

By Muhammad Ghanem Al-Seyassah Staff