Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities Sherif El-Sherbiny inspected the Al Gabal Al Asfar Wastewater Treatment Plant, which currently has a capacity of 2.5 million cubic meters per day. He reviewed ongoing expansion efforts that will add an additional one million cubic meters per day to enhance the plant’s capacity.
During his visit, El-Sherbiny received a briefing on work completed under Contract 16 (Phase 1), which has a capacity of 1.5 million cubic meters per day. The updates included efficiency improvements in operations and maintenance, rehabilitation of plant components, and proposed developments to ensure long-term sustainability.
The minister also inspected operations under Contract 19, particularly the biological treatment processes and upgrades in the aeration tanks. The replacement of coarse air diffusers with fine membrane diffusers is expected to improve oxygen distribution efficiency, enhance biological treatment, and cut air consumption by 30%, saving approximately 10 megawatts of electricity per hour.
Additionally, El-Sherbiny reviewed staff training programs designed to integrate the latest operational technologies, equipment handling, and occupational health and safety measures. He emphasized the importance of accommodating increased wastewater flows until the expansion is complete and called for improvements to the roads leading to the facility for better accessibility.
To maximize efficiency, he instructed the acceleration of the third-phase expansion, optimization of plant assets—including sludge processing and agricultural land use—and regular follow-ups with the operator to ensure maximum returns.
