Tuesday 25 / March / 2025
Muscat: Nama Water Services on Sunday signed an agreement in partnership with the private sector to construct a water purification plant at Wadi Dayqah Dam in the Wilayat of Quriyat. The project, coordinated with relevant government bodies, is valued at over OMR55 million.
The agreement was mutually signed by Qais Saud Al Zakwani, CEO of Nama Water Services, and Sultan Abdullah Al Jafari, Chairman of Al Tayer Engineering Services Company – the project’s implementing company.
The signing ceremony was attended by Dr. Saud Hamoud Al Habsi, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources.
This project aligns with the government’s strategic focus on bolstering water security and ensuring a consistent supply of potable water for subscribers.
This initiative is designed to guarantee reliable water provision, particularly during periods of unexpected weather conditions and unforeseen emergencies. Moreover, the plant’s development is intrinsically connected to supporting agricultural endeavors.
By channeling produced water to farms within the Wilayat of Quriyat, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources, the project aims to enhance food security. This will be achieved through the expansion of water-reliant agricultural activities, ultimately supplying local markets.
The new water purification plant will be developed under a 20-year public-private partnership (PPP) contract, utilizing a Build, Own, Operate (BOO) model. Construction of the plant and associated infrastructure is slated for completion within 22 months.
The facility will boast a total production capacity of 65,000 cubic meters per day, with 35,000 cubic meters per day channeled into Nama Water Services’ main distribution network, supplying potable water. The remaining 30,000 cubic meters per day will be dedicated to agricultural irrigation, distributed through a network serving farms in the Wilayat of Quriyat, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources.
To reinforce water security and enhance the reliability of the main transmission network, the treatment plant will be linked to an exchange line with other facilities. This interconnection will facilitate resource sharing during emergencies and crises, ensuring the sustainability of water service and preventing disruptions.
Speaking on the agreement, Qais Saud Al Zakwani, CEO of Nama Water Services, said: “Nama Water Services is committed to achieving water security goals, addressing the escalating demand for this critical resource driven by subscriber growth and urban development. To meet these demands, the company is actively pursuing a portfolio of projects. This includes the construction of the water purification plant at Wadi Dayqah Dam in the Wilayat of Quriyat.
“The Wadi Dayqah Dam water purification plant project reflects Nama Water Services’ strategic push to leverage diverse water resources. This initiative aims to optimize the dam’s water output to address the regions’ demand effectively. The project adheres to a meticulously planned approach, balancing current necessities with projected future requirements, ultimately contributing to the water security goals outlined in Oman Vision 2040,” he added.
Al Zakwani highlighted the project’s significant contribution to local added value, the creation of over 100 indirect jobs throughout the construction and operational phases, and a community contribution within the Wilayat of Quriyat. He further underscored the project’s commitment to nationalisation, mandating a minimum of 50% Omanisation for all direct jobs during the operational period.
He added that the Wadi Dayqah Dam Water Purification Plant stands out as an exceptional undertaking, harnessing surface water and purifying it to the highest international technical standards. Compliant with Omani drinking water regulations, the project represents a significant addition to the Sultanate of Oman’s water infrastructure. It is anticipated to bolster water security by providing a pure and sustainable source of drinking water.
Eng. Abdullah Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Chief Executive Officer of Operations and Maintenance at Nama Water Services, stated that the Wadi Dayqah Dam treatment plant represents a strategic move to diversify the sources of water production. This diversification aims to ensure consistent supply to the Muscat Governorate, mitigating potential disruptions caused by desalination plant outages. Additionally, it will compensate for supply shortages arising from marine phenomena like cyclones and algal blooms. The Wadi Dayqah Dam treatment plant will also serve as a viable alternative for supplying the Wilayats of Quriyat and Al Amerat, as well as the main water distribution network.
The Chief Executive Officer of Operations and Maintenance explained that the purification plant at Wadi Dayqah Dam will treat the dam’s water through purification using state-of-the-art technologies and systems in this field.
He noted that the salt content in the dam’s water is significantly lower than that of seawater, which will contribute to reducing the energy used and thus lowering operational costs compared to seawater desalination.
Eng. Al Nuaimi said that the Wadi Dayqah Dam Water Treatment Plant project, among the first of its kind in the region, which encompasses the construction of the treatment plant itself alongside a seven-kilometer water transmission line connecting the dam to the facility and a corresponding pumping station.
A 20,000-cubic-metre collection tank is also being built to receive water from the completed pumping station, which is integrated into the main water transmission line. This line extends from the Wilayat of Quriyat to other Wilayats within the Muscat Governorate and the broader water transmission network.
The project is designed to optimise dam water usage for agriculture, bolstering food security and seasonal cultivation. It will also diversify water production sources to address emergency demands, enhance the reliability of the main water transmission network, and provide an alternative water supply for the Wilayat of Quriyat. Furthermore, the initiative seeks to reduce desalination water production costs by leveraging dam water. This aligns with Oman Vision 2040’s goals of increasing drinking water network reliability and expanding agricultural land. Finally, the project contributes to reducing carbon emissions, supporting Nama Water Services’ strategy to achieve net-zero by 2050 through decreased energy consumption via replacing desalination output with purified dam water.
