World Water Day Calling Attention to the Global Issue of Clean Water Scarcity
DUBAI, UAE; March 22, 2010: According to the United Nations Development Program, more than 1 billion people, or about one in six worldwide, do not have safe drinking water and more than 2 billion lack access to adequate sanitation. If current water usage trends continue, by the year 2025 two-thirds of the world's population won't have enough clean water.
The World Water Day, marked on March 22, underscores the need for a global effort to support the widespread adoption of water reuse practices, which can be a key step toward quickly and effectively reversing the global threat of clean water scarcity.
Heiner Markhoff, president and CEO---Water & Process Technologies, GE Power & Water, urged the adoption of fiscal and policy incentives to drive greater water reuse. "With supportive frameworks in place, we can make great progress in creating a global society that adheres to and promotes water reuse," he said.
"Industry leaders, educators and policymakers worldwide need to work together, proactively tackling the policies, technology developments and fiscal issues needed to ensure an adequate supply of clean water for the future," Markhoff said.
GE provides proven technologies and solutions for water treatment and reuse and continues to invest heavily to enhance current products and to develop new, even more advanced technologies.
The company offers a diverse selection of technologies for the global water treatment industry ranging from desalination to cooling water solutions, mobile water to petrochemical solutions and water recovery to boiler water solutions.
As the Middle East grapples with growing demand for sustainable supplies of clean water, GE is providing advanced water-management solutions to the region, which encompass desalination; municipal, utility and industrial wastewater treatment; process chemicals and separation; product water; and products for residential water applications. Key projects include:
* GE and Al Tamimi "GET Water" Partnership - GE has provided a fleet of mobile water treatment systems to Al Tamimi Group for the rapid deployment of onsite treatment systems for both sea water and brackish water treatment, water reuse and water filtration with emergency response time of as little as 72 hours. More than 60 mobile units are currently in operation, with each unit capable of treating up to 1,500 cubic meters of water per day.
* GE is a partner in ConocoPhillips Water Sustainability Center (WSC) in Qatar - ConocoPhillips and GE will work to develop more efficient and cost-effective treatment technologies at the WSC. The WSC will research and develop water solutions primarily for the petroleum and petrochemical sectors and also will focus on municipal and agricultural solutions.
* Water Reuse at International Medical Center in Jeddah - GE supplied the 300-bed facility with an advanced membrane bioreactor wastewater treatment system to treat and recycle 250 cubic meters/day of wastewater, reducing freshwater usage. The water exceeds cleanliness standards and is used for flush water in lavatory fixtures and for landscaping.
* GE is increasing its investments in facilities and technology centers to better serve its customers in the region. Multiple GE technologies are featured at the Sulaibiya wastewater treatment plant in Kuwait, the world's largest membrane-based wastewater filtration plant, which purifies more than 1 million gallons of wastewater per day for agricultural and industrial uses.
* GE recently inaugurated a 7,500 sq metrer GE Saudi Water & Process Technology Center in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, with a nearly US$10 million investment to offer critical water, water reuse, waste-water and process solutions for the region's industrial customers. This follows a recently opened Center of Excellence manufacturing facility in the United Arab Emirates.
Globally, GE is creating a center of excellence (COE) in Minnetonka, Minn., for manufacturing reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membranes; and a COE in Oroszlány, Hungary, for manufacturing ZeeWeed* ultrafiltration membranes.
ZeeWeed technology is the cornerstone of GE's filtration product line and has been installed in more than 500 drinking water and wastewater facilities worldwide, including the Middle East. A GE COE brings together the company's most advanced capabilities and expertise to focus on a key technology sector.
* Trademark of General Electric Company; may be registered in one or more countries.
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Note to Editors
About GE:
GE is a diversified global infrastructure, finance and media company that's built to meet essential world needs. From energy, water, transportation and health to access to money and information, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. GE serves the energy sector by developing and deploying technology that helps make efficient use of natural resources. With 60,000 global employees and 2009 revenues of US$37 billion, GE Energy www.ge.com/energy is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies. The businesses that comprise GE Energy - GE Power & Water, GE Energy Services and GE Oil & Gas - work together to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com. GE is imagination at work.
Kelly Home
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller
[email protected]
+971 4 4507 600
Nivine William
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller
[email protected]
+971 4 4507 600