According to this Asharq Alawsat article, the Jeddah Municipality will be taking the hard, expensive, and not-totally-popular choices to avoid a repeat of the killer floods that ravaged the city last month. It will drain ‘Lake Misk’, remove unauthorized residential neighborhoods that now sit in the flood plains of the various wadis, and establish containment for rainfall east of the city. The engineer interviewed for the article mentions ‘evaporation lakes [plants]‘ but gives no details about how or whether sewage is to be treated before its waters are diverted to the Red Sea. I’m sure there’s something, but just what that is will be of concern and interest to Jeddah residents and those working to improve the health of the Red Sea. The Saudis are not going to be pumping raw sewage into the sea, of that I’m quite confident. But just how it will be treated would be good to learn.
Lake Misk to be Drained within a Year
Ali Sharaya and Amal BaqziJeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat – The Jeddah municipality has been instructed by the senior government to remove Misk Lake in eastern Jeddah, entirely draining it within a year, as well as restoring the floodplain in Jeddah, even if this includes removing the residential neighbourhoods that have sprung up along there, such as the Safa and Al Samir 3 neighbourhoods.
Engineer Ibrahim Ketabkhane, the Jeddah undersecretary for projects and reconstruction, informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the Jeddah municipality plans to restore the Jeddah floodplain [safety area for excess rain water to collect], either by removing the residential neighbourhoods that have sprung up in this area, or by constructing water catchments in eastern Jeddah that connect directly to the water ducts that flow into the sea.
Ketabkhane confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that following guidance from the Governor of Mecca, Prince Khalid al Faisal, Misk [sewage] lake will be drained throughout the year, with this water being sent to the eight evaporation lakes [plants] near the sewage lake. Sewage will no longer be pumped into this lake, and it will be turned into a tertiary treatment plant. Misk Lake previously saw its storage capacity increase from 30 thousand cubic meters to 60 thousand cubic meters at the beginning of the month.
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December:07:2009 - 15:51
“The Saudis are not going to be pumping raw sewage into the sea, of that I’m quite confident. ”
I wish I were as confident as you. I am wondering where the sewage is going now- as I heard it is no longer going to Musk lake.
December:07:2009 - 16:05
“The engineer interviewed for the article mentions ‘evaporation lakes [plants]‘ but gives no details about how or whether sewage is to be treated before its waters are diverted to the Red Sea.”
I know that during the spurt of infrastructure development in the 70s and 80s the Sauds contracted with U.S. companies and even the U.S. Army to develop fresh water supplies. But I have no knowledge that they ever thought of doing the same to plan for the increased sewage that was sure to follow.
December:07:2009 - 17:25
I gather from recent pieces, that they’re, well, sort of spreading it around in barren areas, pumping it into new ‘Musk Ponds’ instead of the Lake. Not a great solution, but given the heat and dryness, if it’s remote enough, it’s probably safer than most alternatives.
Of course, they do need to get a first-world sewage system, as one of the writers points out.
December:07:2009 - 17:27
“Out of sight, out of mind?”
If the typical Saudi eschews manual labor, you can be very sure he’s not going to take up shoveling excrement for a career. That job will just have the brides flocking in, I’d bet…
December:07:2009 - 20:32
I had the same in formation–that there was no further dumping in Musk Lake but new similar lakes being started.
December:09:2009 - 02:10
I’m left wondering if it has any impact on the “Eastern Corniche” project. A rather unknown project of the municipality that nonetheless captured my interest. The plan was to build a processing plant near Misk Lake that would take the sewage and purify it enough for plants. This water would then be used to irrigate a huge park nearby. This would take care of the rising water level in the lake, and add much needed green spaces in Jeddah. Last I heard, they had already started planting trees. Now, I’m not so sure.
December:09:2009 - 06:42
They’re starting to do something about the problem now? After all those people have died?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/dec/03/jeddah-floods-sewage-al-saud
December:09:2009 - 08:03
@ Maha,
It’s like closing the barn door after the cows have already left. This happens everywhere, not just the KSA. In the US a railroad track crossing would get its flashing lights after the cost of a few lives were paid.
The thing I like about the article linked is that the author is not afraid to call out King Abdullah. He takes it right to the top! See the quote:
December:09:2009 - 08:47
Ratherdashing, you’re right and that’s the same everywhere; in France we have the same: afer a ‘certain number of casualties’ they will buld a bridge above the railway track…
It’s very sad, it’s all about how much one life is worth………
December:09:2009 - 08:55
There’s a similar project–completed–in Riyadh. What was formerly sewage now forms a river with a lake at the end. The lake is in the middle of a public park/garden.
December:09:2009 - 08:56
“A human life is priceless” is operational only at election time.
December:09:2009 - 10:34
Not all the beings received the same kind of help during the floods in Jeddah ? See the courageous man’s wife ? See the goat ?
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=129317&d=9&m=12&y=2009&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom
December:09:2009 - 12:52
Michel–Merci! Great article. At first from your comment I thought that the man had saved his goat and left his wife to drown, but he wasn’t quite that avaricious in his cravenness.
It reminds me of a newspaper story I read about a family shooting the rapids somewhere in the US. They capsized and the 2 children drown, because the lifejackets were on the 2 family dogs. Such water safety stupidity rather stuck with me!
December:09:2009 - 13:17
“A human life is priceless” is operational only at election time.
I think you are being unfair, John, they are also priceless during photo-ops in off-election years.
December:09:2009 - 15:00
The left-wife-to-drown story was a shocker, but why give her rescuer a false name?
December:09:2009 - 15:12
Well, you’ve certainly got me there!
December:09:2009 - 15:42
@15: sorry that was French (black) humor
December:09:2009 - 16:59
Michel! got it–the which bouc was the real bouc, and not a bouc-émissaire.
Solomon2–Maybe the rescuer was given a false name in the Arab News story because of legalities, either not in Jeddah legally or not wanting to be seen to be criticizing in anyway the lack of official rescuers etc.
December:09:2009 - 23:49
They probably gave him a false name because someone sick would conjure some type of lie they may have been lovers. OR maybe her husband would wonder why he would do such a thing and question him. I know that is crazy but a possibility. Or maybe he doesn’t want more attention. He just did what he did because he thought was the right thing to do and isn’t looking for any recognition.