Water Management

OBJECTIVES

The specific objectives of our water management studies are:
1. Propose plans for water resources management and water sector improvement.
2.Conduct studies aiming at increasing the efficiency of water systems and forecast future needs and methods of supply at minimum cost.
3. Conduct studies aimed at assisting decision makers in charge of water production and distribution in production planning and water conservation.
4.Contribute in preparation of an integrated water resources management plan and propose the necessary regulations.
5.Raise the awareness level of water consumers.

WATER MANAGEMENT

Water management is arguably the most important task facing human race in this century.

In simple terms, water management means balancing supply and demand while preserving the natural resource for future generations.

While water supply is a relatively straightforward engineering task, water demand is a complex socio-economical issue, illustrated by the fact that. per capita world water consumption is rising twice as fast as the world’s population.

Water resources management is one of our recognized expertise areas. Water Kuwait has performed many water resources management projects. Further planned studies include domestic water consumption patterns, leakages and seepage, water conservation, creation of a strategic reserve and water master planning.

All water management studies are conducted in close cooperation with concerned water authorities in Kuwait.

SAFE STRATEGIC RESERVE

Creation of a strategic reserve of potable water in the aquifer through artificial recharge is a viable option in Kuwait. The field experiments demonstrated that the artificial recharge of the carbonate Dammam Formation aquifer would be operationally much easier than similar recharge of the clastic Kuwait Group.

The Water Resources Division carried out laboratory investigations on the core materials of the Dammam Formation recovered from the selected pilot recharge site. The results confirmed that no adverse compatibility effects would be encountered when the Dammam Formation aquifer would be recharged with desalinated freshwater at the selected pilot site, as long as the suspended solids would be removed from the injection water.

WATER AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Kuwait suffers from an acute liquid and solid waste disposal problem. The landfills containing these wastes are posing a continuous and serious threat to both the environment and the surrounding communities. The Department has evaluated safety measures for these landfills and assessed their impacts on the groundwater, recommending measures that ensure environment friendly landfills.

The groundwater in Kuwait contains elevated concentration of H2S at many localities. Apart from being particularly obnoxious in smell, the gas is also an environmental hazard. The Department is working on the development of a treatment system for the pumped water at these sites that will contain the release of H2S to the atmosphere and lower its concentration in the water to a level that will make it safe for its disposal to the sea.

GROUNDWATER AND AGRICULTURE

The Hydrology Department has engaged in various studies related to the optimum utilization of the groundwater resources in agricultural areas of Al-Wafra and Al-Abdally to prevent water level decline and quality deterioration.

A number of recommendations have been put forward in relation to groundwater abstraction techniques and irrigation methods.

OIL AND GROUNDWATER

The Department is involved in finding the optimum solutions to reduce the detrimental effects of oil exploration and production operations through regulating operations related to discarding of “off-specs” injection water to prevent adverse effects on the groundwater resources.