The Public Works Authority’s (Ashghal) Main Trunk Sewer (MTS) project in Doha South has won the prestigious ‘Good Rating’ by the Civil Engineering Environmental Quality Assessment and Award Scheme (CEEQUAL).
The recognition, according to a press statement by Ashghal, assumes much significance as MTS is the first and lone project in the region that achieves the CEEQUAL Design and Build Award.
CEEQUAL is an international evidence-based sustainability assessment, rating and awards scheme for construction and service projects. It uses a rating system to assess the performance of the projects during there development in the design and construction phases.
Ashghal completed the construction works of the MTS last April as part of the Doha South Sewage Infrastructure Project with Jacobs Engineering Group (formerly CH2M) as the international management consultant. The project is aimed at serving a number of areas south of Doha by connecting them with the drainage network of the city.
MTS comprises three branches; northern, western, and eastern with a total length of approximately 16km. With a 4km length the northern branch covers Rawdat Al Khail and Al Nuaija areas. The western branch, with around 5km length, spreads through Mesaimeer and Al Maamoura to Freej Al Soudan. The eastern branch has around 7km length and it extends from Al Thumama to Old Airport area passing through the E-Ring Road. These branches are gravity-based tunnels that are designed to reduce environmental impacts by sewage overflow. They control odours in sewage treatment works and conveying system and decrease the costs for operation and maintenance of the faulty sewerage system.
The Doha South Sewage Infrastructure Project also includes the construction of seven lateral interceptor sewers with approximately 24km of micro tunnels that are constructed by using 170 deep shafts in different areas around Doha. The lateral interceptor sewers will ensure sewage flows from areas in the centre and south of Doha to the three branches of the MTS that will than take these flows to the existing Doha South Sewage Treatment Plant.
The project, according to the statement, is designed to accommodate the population growth expected in Doha South and it has the capacity to be linked to the future infrastructure projects. Once completed, the project will enable the decommissioning of more than twenty dysfunctional sewer pumping stations that are located in the residential and commercial areas in the south of Doha.
The project team has implemented periodic environmental audits as a contractual requirement to test and measure the contractor’s (the Joint Venture of Bouygues and UCC) compliance with the established standards and environmental bests practices.