DOW technologies for water and process solutions are helping achieve better water and wastewater quality together with profits for customers and a cleaner environmental footprint, the company says.

It highlighted Dow Water & Process Solutions (DW&PS) business unit’s high-performance Dow Filmtec membranes and Dow Ultrafiltration modules.

Dow Filmtec membranes are operational in some of the most water-challenged areas of the region, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Kuwait and Oman.

A recent Riyadh water treatment project in Saudi Arabia features 13 unique high recovery Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis (BWRO) plants designed with the latest integrated DW&PS solutions to treat high-temperature, high-iron and high-salinity deep well water. 

“The greatest challenge that our technology has managed to overcome is increasing the net water conversion rate from 78 per cent with conventional technology to 85 per cent with sustainable product water quality and quantity. Our technology has also been deployed in other distinct Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination projects, such as Layyah Khorfakkan and Jebel Ali in the UAE,” said Rami Abu Amirah, regional commercial and marketing manager, Dow Water and Process Solutions, Mena.

Other important projects Dow was involved with in the region were the Al Ain Dairy and Park Hyatt Dubai wastewater reuse schemes. Amirah highlighted that the projects demonstrated that sustainable water reuse practices are also profitable as Dow technologies help shift the cooling and utility water sources from high-cost desalinated seawater to low-cost treated wastewater. Additionally, Amirah said, there was a reduced environmental impact by reusing wastewater and enabling more desalinated seawater for municipal and potable use.

Park Hyatt Dubai installed a system with Dow Ultrafiltration technology to safely and effectively treat water from Dubai Municipality. Dow’s membranes filter and process 148,300 cu m of water annually for the hotel. The water is used to supply its HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) towers which, in turn, help cool the resort’s 225 luxury rooms and suites. The overall system – designed and built by Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies – has helped the hotel save as much as 154,880 cu m of potable water since it was launched in 2010. The system enabled the hotel to reduce its energy consumption as well.

Al Ain Dairy is using Dow Ultrafiltration and Dow Filmtec technologies to reuse 300,000 cu litres of treated wastewater per day. Dow technology helps filter and purify the treated wastewater, which is then sprayed through an automated cooling system to keep the dairy cows cool and comfortable during the summer season, thereby maintaining optimal dairy production levels. The treated wastewater is also used for irrigation and cleaning purposes.

An MoU that Dow signed with the Saudi government’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) is aimed at measuring the effectiveness of Dow Ultrafiltration and Dow Filmtec RO technologies in the unique environmental conditions of the Arabian Gulf. Also, through Dow’s R&D partnerships with leading Saudi entities such as SWCC and the King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, Dow will be able to better understand the needs of the Saudi market and deliver the right solutions.

The company says it is also committed to setting up a plant in Saudi Arabia to manufacture Dow Filmtec  elements. “Our growing local manufacturing footprint would complement our robust commercial and technical presence throughout the region, helping us to better serve our customers. At the moment, we are taking a closer look at how best to execute on our vision, including capacity and timing,” commented Amirah.

“Our new facility would deliver the most advanced, affordable and sustainable water sourcing and treatment options for desalination, wastewater treatment, and other applications currently in demand.”