JEDDAH – Degremont, the water-treatment unit of Suez Environnement (SEV), has begun producing drinking water from modular desalination units that are converting brackish groundwater in the Riyadh area. The Suez subsidiary said Thursday in a statement that the production of drinking water from the first 5,000 cubic meter a day unit started this month near the Dharhat Laban district and would serve 3,000 households formerly supplied by tanker trucks. Degremont won 40 million euros ($52 million) of contracts last October from the National Water Company of Saudi Arabia for the supply and installation of 33 modular units to produce potable water from areas where fresh water resources are scarce. The company is also involved in the treatment of sewage and sludge, which is a growing problem for urban areas in particular. It relies on a range of different technologies including physical, chemical or biological treatments, ozonization, membrane bioreactors, sand filters etc. Most wastewater is treated for use in irrigation or for use in industrial cooling systems. — SG/Agencies
