Rainwater bounty saved in UAE dams

Rare downpour on July 14 dumped 219,000 cubic metres of water, enough to fill 5,000 average backyard pools

Dubai:ArareJulyrainstormdumpedtheequivalentof5,000averageswimmingpoolsofwaterindrycentral
areasoftheUAE,theMinistryofWaterandEnvironmentsaidonWednesday.
TheeventinJuly,oneofthedriestmonthsoftheyear,isaboonforlocalresidentsacrosscentralpartsof
thecountrywhodependonwaterforirrigationandcultivation,saidtheministry.
ThecapturedwateristransferredfromtheFalajchannelstoPhillyareawhereoldfortsandpalmplantations
arelocated.Theirrigationchannelshelpgreentheseareas.
Thesubstantialstorm,punctuatedwithheavydownpoursonJuly14,dumpedanestimated219,000cubic
metres(48milliongallons)ofwaterwhichwascapturedandchannelledtolakesandreservoirsinUAEs
CentralRegion,saidtheministryinastatementonWednesday.
Everydrophelpsinacountrythatreceivesabout100mmofrainfalleveryyearonaverage.
MariamMohammadSaeedHareb,ActingAssistantUndersecretaryforWaterResourcesandNature
Conservation,saidthemediumtoheavyrainswerenotonlyconcentratedinthecentralareas.
HeavyprecipitationalsopoureddownontheCentralRegionsvariousareasandalsoaffectedthenorth
regionofShokaandthesouthregionofPhilly.
Shenotedthatapproximately151,300cubicmetresofwaterflowedintoNasasandthelakeofPhilly1,2
and3inSharjah,whileabout68,000cubicmetresflowedintoaRasAlKhaimahdam.
Theministrysoperationalplanfor20142016regardingmaintenanceworkanddamandwaterinstallations
incentralregionwascompletedinJuneincoordinationwiththeMinistryofPublicWorks.
TheplanincludedthedevelopmentandrenovationofFalajPhillysoitcanbenefitfromtherainwater
harvestedinLakePhilly2.
Bymaintainingthelakes,damsandbarriers,theMinistryofEnvironmentandWateralsohopestopromote
heritagetourismaswellasemphasiseamongworkerstheimportanceofobservingsafetyrequirementsin
accordancewiththesetrulesandregulations.