Water supply and sanitation in Abu Dhabi

While groundwater is used for agriculture in Al Ain and Liwa, drinking water is provided entirely from desalinated seawater across the Emirates.

These joint ventures between the government and foreign companies, which are allowed to own up to 40% of the shares, are called Independent Water & Power Producers (IWPPs).

Freshwater use per capita is about 650 litres per day, including water supplied for the irrigation of green spaces.

[citation needed] As of 2009, in Al Ain "due to constraints on both the transmission and distribution networks, up to 45% of customers (were) on a restricted (intermittent) supply".

The plants were initially owned and operated by the government through the Water and Electricity Department, and financing was provided by the state from oil revenues.

The reform was inspired by the pro-private sector and pro-competition climate reigning during the 1990s, and it was implemented through foreign advisors.

[7] The sanitation sector was initially left out of the reform and remained a responsibility of the Abu Dhabi Municipality, despite heavy investments that were required for wastewater treatment and reuse.

Only in 2005 a separate sanitation operator, Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company, was established.

In 2005 the Emirate created the Environment Department, which established a Strategic Water Master Plan published in 2009.

When presenting the Master Plan, the chairman of the Environment Agency said that the future would be very challenging unless action was taken to reduce water consumption, which is among the highest per capita in the world.

[12] The Plan describes the current status and the environmental and technical issues related to projections of demand and supply, groundwater abstraction, desalination, water supply and sanitation, irrigation, wastewater treatment and Emirati governance and institutions.

[citation needed] The Regulation and Supervision Bureau (RSB) for the Water and Electricity Sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi enforces relevant laws through licensing.

Foreign residents and commercial users were always charged for water, starting at 5.95 Dirham (US$1.61) per cubic meter in the lowest consumption block.

Even before the change in tariff, bills highlighted water usage beyond a certain level in red and showed the subsidy paid by the state.

Bulk supply tariffs are adjusted by the RSB every four years based on maximum allowable revenues.

Investment in water distribution and sewerage infrastructure is financed by the government through subsidies to the respective public companies.