The first sewage treatment plant in Qatar to use advanced technology has become operational.

The QR3.6bn Doha North Sewage Treatment Works (DNSTW), which will produce high-quality reclaimed water for irrigation, is located in Umm Salal Ali, 25km from the heart of Doha.

In terms of the volume of works carried out, it is one of the most important projects implemented by the Infrastructure Affairs at the Public Works Authority (Ashghal).

The plant uses advanced treatment techniques such as ultra-filtration and ultra-violet technologies to produce high quality water for reuse in irrigation purposes.

The first phase of the project includes the construction of the main treatment plant for the reception and treatment of sewage, which has been designed to treat up to 245,000 cubic metres of sewage per day, serving a projected population of more than 900,000 people by the year 2020.

Among the plant's modern features are advanced biological treatment processes as well as ultra-filtration, which is an ultra-membrane filtration technique that separates large molecules and small granules from the water. The plant also uses ultra-violet technologies for waste water treatment.

The plant has started receiving sewage flows from the main pumping station in Northern Doha (PS70) located in Al Kheesa. The sewage flows are estimated 46,000 cubic metres per day. The Doha North Sewage Treatment Works became fully operational in December 2015, after a full year of inspection and testing processes completed by the Qatari Civil Defence and other entities.

A major part of the second phase of the project was the construction of a Thermal Drying Plant (TDP) to processes sludge, which is the solid materials generated from the sewage treatment process. Through the process the sludge is readied for safe disposal according to international standards.

The TDP will receive and treat sludge generated from not just Doha North Sewage Treatment Works but also from all the other sewage treatment works within Qatar. The sludge is dewatered, processed through the thermal dryers to finally produce dried pellets which are bagged and stored for distribution.

The construction of the TDP is almost completed and is going through final commissioning. The TDP includes four thermal dryers which are currently being tested utilising sludge generated at the Doha North Sewage Treatment Works and the Doha West Sewage Treatment Works. Two of the thermal dryers are expected to be handed over in the second quarter of this year while the other two will be ready in the third quarter.

The Doha North Sewage Treatment Works is the first facility with a comprehensive odour control system to minimise the impact on the surrounding environment. The buffer zone surrounding the plant will be carefully landscaped to form a lush-green oasis that includes around 95,000 trees and 50 picnic areas with interconnecting roads and a bird watching lagoon which is considered to be the first of its kind in Qatar.

The roads and picnic areas are completed and the bird watching lagoon is expected to be finished this quarter itself. The remaining irrigation pipe work and planting are in progress as well as the construction of artificial mounds across the area, which is expected to be completed by mid 2017.

The total cost of the Doha North Sewage Treatment Works project, including the money spent on the design and build contract, is approximately QR2.49bn and the operate and maintain 10-year contract which is worth about QR1.14bn.

The project contracts were awarded to Keppel Seghers Engineering Singapore LTD. The whole project is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2017.