Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
Abu Dhabi is cutting the carbon footprint of its water sector, with new wastewater treatment technologies delivering a 16.8% reduction in energy use and an 8.1% drop in emissions, according to data revealed at the Water Quality Forum 2025.
The second edition of the forum, organised by the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC) and M42, kicked off on Wednesday bringing together policymakers, regulators, scientists, and utility providers to address pressing water challenges.
In a panel discussion on Abu Dhabi’s strategy for water resilience, Dr. Nader Assad Bin Taher, COO of TAQA Water Solutions, said the reductions were the result of a “massive transformation” in wastewater treatment.
He pointed to the introduction of advanced technologies such as activated sludge modules, sequencing batch reactors (SBR), and nitrification-denitrification reactors (NDR), alongside AI-driven monitoring and GIS upgrades.
These innovations enable TAQA to treat up to 750,000 cubic metres of water per day, while meeting its energy and carbon emissions reduction targets.
TAQA’s 2030 ESG strategy targets a 25% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including a 33% reduction across its UAE portfolio compared to a 2019 baseline.
The company’s long-term ambition is to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050.
TAQA’s network spans some 30,000 kilometres and nearly 40,000 treatment plants with a total capacity of 1.3 million cubic metres per day, according to Dr. Bin Taher.
Ahmed Khaled Othman, Acting Deputy Director General of Operational Affairs at ADAFSA, detailed how Abu Dhabi has been steadily scaling the use of recycled water for irrigation.
The journey began roughly two decades ago with pilot projects on five farms in 2007 and grew to include more than 1,500 farms by 2022.
That same year, ADAFSA issued the UAE’s first dedicated standard for agricultural recycled water, permitting unrestricted irrigation of all crops under close monitoring.
According to Othman, samples are taken regularly from farms and tanks in coordination with the Central Testing Laboratory to ensure compliance.
Abu Dhabi is home to more than 25,000 farms. According to ADAFSA, the agricultural sector is still 81.4% dependent on groundwater, 18% on desalinated seawater, and 0.6% on recycled water.
Othman noted that recycled water offers the emirate’s agricultural sector a key sustainable alternative that enriches crops with nutrients and reduces reliance on groundwater.
Last year, ADAFSA launched a delivery plan to distribute recycled water to more than 1,600 farms in the emirate.
It is being implemented in collaboration with the Department of Energy - Abu Dhabi, the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), TAQA, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Distribution Company, and Abu Dhabi Sustainable Water Solutions Company.
The plan involves distributing approximately 150,000 cubic metres per day to farms in Al Khatam, Khazna and Nahda areas to meet their recycled water needs at a rate of 73 cubic metres per day for each farm – equivalent to 16,500 gallons.
