Aldar MEP expert wants more recycled water use

George Kenich says recycling grey and black waste water is essential to reduce consumption levels (ITP Images)

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A leading MEP expert has called on the industry to work together to find a way to slash energy consumption in buildings and find a way to utilise recycled water.

Speaking at the Construction Week Sustainability Conference, George Kenich said that one of the major issues facing the industry is the recycling of water, something that is virtually ignored by the majority of the industry when it comes to reducing water consumption.

“One issue is the recycling of grey and black water and reusing storm water, it is one of the fundamentals of saving water, aside from using a lot of water saving devices in the building,” the infrastructure manager at Aldar Properties said.

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“It is the job of the MEP engineers to look at this during the building’s design. Infrastructure is one of the things you look at when planning a big construction, how it can utilise grey or black water for other things – irrigation for landscaping for example – like in Yas Island,” Kenich added.

The project there has a big sewerage treatment plant that recycles water and uses it for irrigation. Kenich said that Aldar ties to avoid using sprinklers on Yas Island, preferring to use other techniques for irrigation which ensure less water wastage.

“Other techniques to absorb water costs like self surveys (can also be used),” he said.

Another big consumer of water is chilled water district cooling, which needs clean water to work optimally.

However, Kenich said that Aldar are trying different methods to reduce water wastage at its district cooling plants, but this has been met with limited success.

“We try to utilise other resources, such as distilled water but it has not resulted in maximum success. It requires a lot of different pipes and technicalities,” he explained.

“Inside the building, we have other techniques which were put together with the consultants at the very beginning of construction. Whatever we’re discussing now has to be put in at the early stages of design, whether constructing a building or a city,” he said at the conference.