Corodex installs Palm's vacuum sewerage system

Corodex, one of the first private companies in the Emirates to offer water treatment services, has introduced a new technology to help sustainably manage waste water.

The new vacuum sewerage technology has already been installed at The Palm Jumeirah's sewerage treatment plant, which is expected to come online soon.

And the company has signed an additional agreement with Nakheel to build a similar system on the Palm Deira. Costs, time and energy needs associated with the vacuum technology are lower than with the traditional thermal treatment method.

For example, it can take as little as six months to build a vacuum sewerage plant as compared to three years for a traditional plant. Vacuum technology is also highly desirable because it does not require large input of manufactured energy. Corodex estimates it costs 25 per cent less to treat water with vacuum technology.

Mohanned Awad, business development manager at Corodex, told Emirates Business the station in Palm Jumeirah is one of the world's largest.

"Work on the vacuum sewerage system at Palm Jumeirah is complete.

"This is the first project in the UAE where we have used the new technology and given the flat and coastal terrain, this technology is superior to the traditional gravity feed and pumping station system," he added.

On the Palm Jumeirah, 900 vacuum collection chambers have been installed to cater to the more than 1,900 villas.

Approximately 40km of vacuum sewer lines then connect to one central station, which is located inside the underground sewerage treatment plant.

Waste water from the pipe network is collected in the central vacuum station via differential air pressure. Pressure in the pipeline system is maintained at all times by vacuum pumps.

Benefits of this system, according to experts, include the use of small diameter PVC or HD-PE pipes, shallow and narrow trenches, maintenance-free sewer lines, minimal use of electricity, no odour and ease of water treatment.

"Also the vacuum toilets need only one litre of water per flush because air is used as the transport medium rather than just water," said Awad.

Meanwhile, Awad said Corodex has won another contract from Nakheel to supply a vacuum sewerage system along with a MBR sewage treatment plant at the new Palm Deira Island project. The combined contract for both the vacuum sewerage system and the 1,000 m3/day MBR sewage treatment plant will cover both the project site offices and the promenade area of the Palm.

Corodex has seen its turnover grow from Dh30 million in 2006 to Dh250m as of March 2008. Awad said: "We are hoping to cross Dh600m in the waste water section alone by 2010."

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