Rainwater reservoir on final stages of completion in Qatar

Water-scarce Qatar is making a huge reservoir to harness rainwater. The facility is at the last stages of completion.

The tank is being built in Al Kheesa area of Al Daayen Municipality, some 3km away from Raudat Al Hamama.

The size and technical details of what appears to be a highly innovative project were not known but rainwater harvested elsewhere in the country or in nearby areas could also be redirected to this reservoir.

The facility is part of an infrastructure development package for Al Kheesa, which was once a green village. The package costs about QR330m.

Qatar gets scanty rainfall. It rains a few times a year, mostly in the winter and spring seasons.For example, last December 25 it rained heavily all over the country which led to water-logging in several areas. 

The following day, municipal teams pumped out some 28 million gallons of logged rainwater from different areas.  The water pumped out was enough to fill up some 40 large Olympic-size swimming pools.

Many areas were still submerged in knee-deep water, which means there was more water logged than what had been pumped out.

Rainwater accumulated in a huge reservoir and treated can be used for various purposes, including domestic use and for irrigation, among others.

Public Works Authority (Ashghal) sources told Al Sharq that infrastructure development works for Al Kheesa, including the rainwater harvesting system being built, are almost 70 percent complete.

The projects were launched in the first quarter of 2014 and are expected to be complete by the third quarter of this year. Works also include road and sewage development. Some roads have been paved and final touches are being given. On other roads that are nearly complete, preparations are being made to install street lights.

It is not known if the reservoir being built is the one of its kind or there would be such facilities in other areas of the country. [The Peninsula]