SWPC lists projects to be set up by 2026 to fill water supply gap

The total water demand will grow to 4.5 million cubic meters (cu m) per day as per the supply and demand plan issued by the Ministry of Environment Water and Agriculture, Saudi Water Partnership Co. (SWPC) said in a new report.

The company will set up 11 new desalination plants to cover the gap, out of which some will supply water even before the commercial operation start date.

The report said that by 2030, the use of groundwater for urban supply is expected to be restricted to Najran, Hail, Al Jawf, and the Northern Borders. For the remaining nine regions, groundwater sources are expected to be phased-out gradually by 2025 as they will depend on desalinated water and surface water.

It also indicated that 4.1 million cu m per day of the total water supply gap in 2026 will be in those nine regions depending on desalinated and surface water.

The company's water desalination stations portfolio will witness growth from the current capacity of 1.2 million cu m per day to 8.5 million cu m per day in 2026.

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has adopted a package of policies and plans, aimed at curbing water requirements for everyone within the urban water system.

It includes reducing wastage rates in networks and using management measures at the demand level such as encouraging the use of devices that achieve efficient consumption and carrying out reforms to the consumption tariff. These measures will reduce the demand for water.

New water desalination stations will be added to existing and under-construction plants, SWPC added.

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