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Massive sewage works in the Saar area are finally nearing completion as contractors come to the finishing stage of a BD5,495,000 project.
The piping and sewage works, which commenced at the end of October 2012, by the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs & Urban Planning, was set in motion to improve the area’s infrastructure as well as help overcome the problems arising from the use of septic tanks.
And, while the giant holes in the ground and road diversions continue to cause a challenge for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, sanitary engineering assistant undersecretary Khalifa Ebrahim Al Mansoor assured residents it will be well worth the hassle.
Mr Al Mansoor said: “The Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning is always keen to improve the infrastructure in all the kingdom’s governorates and any service project related to citizens is a priority.
“This project aims to overcome the environmental issues and problems arising from using septic tanks in the area, which naturally have certain health and environmental impacts.
“The implementation of a sewage project in Saar is part of the ministry’s plan to connect all areas in Bahrain to the network in the coming few years. Saar, being a rocky area, makes excavation works a difficult task.
“Therefore, it takes more time and effort to implement the project. The team in charge of implementation is sparing no effort to complete work on time.”
The projects contractor, Ahmed Mansoor Al A’Ali, and consultant, MWH Khonji, are expected to complete the project in the third quarter of 2015.
At the moment, three phases of the six-stage project have been completed and work on phase four is currently underway. This stage will connect blocks 575 and 571 in Saar to the sewerage network.
The Saar Sewage work consists of extending 14km main connections, 17km sub-connections, constructing 2,240 inspection chambers and two lifting stations, in addition to a pumping station. It also includes connecting 751 real estates to the new network.
Mr Al Mansoor explained: “Stage four is now 65 per cent complete, with 92 per cent of the main connections in the network extended and the houses were connected to the network in April.
“We believe that the 751 real estates will benefit from the connection as there won’t be a need for tankers to perform sewage suction. This will have a positive impact on the environment and residents’ health, in addition to eliminating bad odours in the area.
“In terms of sub-connections, 40 per cent have been extended. The inspection chambers are 87 per cent complete and the lifting stations are 84 per cent complete.”
The ministry is aware of the inconvenience to road-users and residents and has apologised for any inconvenience the project may have caused and urge residents and visitors to continue to adhere to road safety precautions.
Mr Al Mansoor said: “We advise citizens and children to keep away from the excavation sites and not to tamper with tools and equipment on the site to prevent accidents.”
Throughout the implementation of the project, the ministry has been ensuring that the contractor in charge has been following all relevant safety measures and procedures, especially isolating the excavation site by installing safety barriers and posting warning signs, particularly on roads that have deep excavations.
“We also advise citizens to abide by our safety instructions and avoid passing the barriers. For the purpose of maintaining sewerage networks, the ministry also urges people to not dispose of solid waste or grease into the sewage system, for this leads to blockages, network defects and sewage flooding. We would like to thank residents of the area for their understanding.”
