According to the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, 72 per cent of water used in the UAE comes from groundwater, 21 per cent comes from desalination and only 7 per cent is treated water. The luxury lifestyle and lack of conservation measures among residents has resulted in high levels of water usage and waste.
UAE has witnessed significant economic growth in the last twenty years and Government policies aimed at development of a diversified economy have transformed UAE into a fast growing urban region in the Middle East with a multinational population. Also, intelligent and planned destination marketing efforts have resulted in the city supporting a fairly large transient and tourist population. These factors have resulted in the typical wastewater management problems associated with growth namely rising quantities of wastewater generated and also the need for an ever increasing level and quality of service.
The water sector is moving aggressively to promote water conservation / storage, wastewater recycle and reuse, and desalination of sea water to meet the burgeoning water consumption needs in all sectors. Previously, the focus was more on desalination, which was seen as a solution to the alarming water crisis faced by UAE. Now, the trend is shifting to the reuse of treated sewage, not only for gardening /landscaping, but also for industrial use like district cooling.