Every drop of water is valuable, yet millions of people don't have access to it. According to the World Health Organization, over 2.2 billion people lack access to drinking water, and 4.2 billion don't have essential sanitation services. These figures are not just numbers; they represent people facing life-threatening situations daily. To emphasize the importance of freshwater and advocate for sustainable resource management, the United Nations-Water dedicated this year's World Water Day theme to "accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis."

Through our innovative technologies and sustainable practices, K&A is committed to supporting the global effort to meet water and sanitation needs for all by 2030, the 6th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). Our multifaceted approach encompasses designing, constructing, and maintaining water treatment plants, pumping stations, and distribution networks while employing cutting-edge technologies to reduce water waste and increase efficiency. We're committed to scaling up our innovative solutions to meet the increasing need for clean water and sanitation facilities and creating a more equitable and sustainable future.

Here we look at three significant projects K&A has undertaken to address the water and sanitation crisis and improve the lives of the communities we serve.

The Al-Hammam Water Treatment Plant, Egypt
K&A is providing its expertise as the lead consultant for the Al Hammam plant on behalf of our client, the Egyptian Armed Forces. With a capacity of 7.5 million m3 of wastewater per day, this new water facility in Egypt represents another significant water security milestone in agricultural wastewater treatment across Africa and the world, repurposing 36% more water than the Bahr Al-Baqar project and breaking its Guinness World Record. It will help irrigate over two million acres (8,000 km2) of agricultural land. It is part of the Egyptian government's plan to expand the country's rural area by over 30% in the next five years. The plant has 102 process buildings and employs innovative technology that will enable it to benefit millions of people. The Al-Hammam will be the country's largest water reuse facility, combating shortages, improving supply, restoring around 210,000 hectares of agricultural land, and supporting Egypt's 2030 National Agenda and UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Resilient Infrastructure in Basra, Iraq
We are bringing long-term benefits to Basra through several projects to restore infrastructure and support local communities. Despite having enormous natural water resources, the Basra Governorate has lacked access to safe drinking water for many decades. Environmental pollution in the Shatt Al-Arab and saltwater intrusion from the Arabian Gulf caused a severe water and ecological crisis in 2018, affecting the health of over four million inhabitants. To find a long-term, sustainable solution, K&A is delivering a water infrastructure strategy that includes constructing several water treatment plants with a 1 million m3/day capacity and around 160 km of transmission lines. K&A is also leading the design and supervision of wet utilities (potable water, sewer, stormwater, and irrigation networks), dry utilities (medium and low voltage, SCADA, and telecom networks besides street lighting networks), roads, and landscaping in different southern regions of Iraq, each with its own sewage treatment plant.

Bahr Al-Baqar Wastewater Treatment Plant, Egypt
Another water project in Egypt is the 2021 record-breaking Bahr Al-Baqar wastewater treatment plant, which has a 5.6 million m3/day capacity. K&A completed the project from conception to execution 24 months after being commissioned by the Egyptian Armed Forces Engineering Authority. The plant has four water treatment lines, each with a daily processing capacity of 1,250,000 cubic meters. The raw water is transported to the proposed treatment plant through deep tunnels that run down the new Suez Canal to the canal's eastern side. The facility will produce safe and clean water that will be reused to irrigate 140,000 hectares of farmland alongside the Suez Canal, thanks to advanced processes for pumping raw water, coagulation, flocculation, decantation, filtration, and disinfection. The project will support government efforts to "green" areas of the desert and convert them to agricultural use and traditional farming regions, thereby creating more job opportunities and improving the quality of life.