Water Desalination Operations, the operational division of the Saudi Water Authority, has boosted the total capacity of desalination plants utilizing groundwater and surface water sources by over 1.5 million cubic meters per day in the last two years. With a network of more than 400 plants, the overall production capacity has now surpassed 4 million cubic meters daily, thanks to development initiatives focused on assets, operations and maintenance, and quality assurance.
The facilities generate water that meets established standards and specifications. Their strategic distribution throughout the Kingdom offers a widely accessible support system for water supply, complementing seawater desalination efforts, broadening supply alternatives, enhancing system adaptability to demand fluctuations, and ensuring consistent supply across various conditions.
The development initiatives included connecting several plants to the electrical grid and enhancing energy efficiency, leading to the displacement of over 400,000 barrels of oil equivalent in liquid fuels each year and a reduction of carbon emissions by about 170,000 tons annually.
Continuing this strategy, Water Desalination Operations and Water Solutions Company entered into an agreement for the “Assignment of Management and Supervision Responsibilities for Desalination Plants Utilizing Groundwater and Surface Water Sources.”
This agreement is part of a gradual transfer of management and supervision duties, aligning with the ongoing institutional restructuring of the water sector, which delineates the roles of production, distribution, and regulation in line with the National Water Strategy 2030. This structure allows each organization to concentrate on its specific responsibilities while enhancing the efficiency of asset and expenditure management.
The plants are operated by Saudi national professionals. According to the agreement, Water Solutions Company will take charge of managing the plants and supervising their operational and maintenance functions, while the Authority’s Saudi staff will continue to perform these tasks. This arrangement preserves the expertise built over time, fosters the ongoing development of specialized Saudi skills, and improves asset management efficiency and supply reliability.
Source: The Saudi Water Authority
