Environment & Energy | Sunday 14 June, 2015 3:04 am |

The NWC has approved the operation plan to provide water and environment services for Omra and Holy Mosque visitors in Mecca for summer 2015.
An increasing number of domestic and international visitors are expected to visit Mecca this year. NWC anticipates that 540 m3 from the Wadi Malakan wells will be required for the toilets alone at the Holy Mosque. Mecca’s total water consumption this summer is expected to reach 543,000 m3.

In preparation, the NWC is refiling all Mecca water tanks including Al-Mo’aisim, wich has a capacity of one-million m3, the new Tahleya tanks and all of Mecca’s other 24 tanks for a combined capacity of 1.4 million m3.

Eng. Abdullah Hassanein, the manager of the Mecca and Tayef business units, said that the customer services centers in Iskan and Al-Mo’aisim are staffed with 30 employees and the halls are prepared to receive and serve customers. In addition, the number of tankers was increased and production capacity of the filling stations covering the Mecca suburbs has increased, leading to an additional capacity of 123,000m3. The Kiddy station increased by 50,000m3, the Kakeya stations by 45,000m3, the Al-Mo’aisim station by 25,000m3, and the Arafat Station by 3,000m3.

There are eight operation and maintenance centers with 215 vehicles spread among Mecca’s suburbs. They are supported by 68 operation and maintenance teams (38 water maintenance, 30 operational) equipped with the necessary tools including both wired and wireless communication to receive incoming reports and respond to them immediately.
Currently, environmental services operational and maintenance teams are performing routine maintenance on the networks and stations that receive and transfer wastewater to environmental treatment plants where it receives triple treatment in accordance with the executive regulations of treated wastewater in the Kingdom.

All networks have been cleared and washed to insure the easy flow of wastewater, which will be monitored in the central operation room which is supported by a team of employees with fast communication equipment. The team works around the clock to insure fast responses.
Most of this work will focus on the central and second ring road area (Ajyad, Sheb Amer, Jerwal, Jabal Jehesha, Al-Qashalah, Al-Sulaymaniah, Al-Masfalah), and the Omra area (Al-Azizyah, Mokhatat Al-Bonuk, Ak-Shashah, Al-Rawdah) because they are heavily populated.