Change of taps at Abu Dhabi mosques to reduce water consumption and save Dh20m annually

Changing water taps at more than 800 mosques is part of the emirate’s drive to reduce consumption.

Mosques across Abu Dhabi are being retrofitted with faucets that use less water to save around Dh20 million annually. Mona Al Marzooqi / The National

Changing water taps at more than 800 mosques will save Abu Dhabi nearly Dh20 million a year as part of the emirate’s drive to reduce consumption.

Abu Dhabi mosques use 9 billion litres of water each year, accounting for 1 per cent of all water consumption in the emirate. According to the Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC) up to 20 litres is typically used for wudhu, the act of washing before prayer.

The distribution arm of the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (Adwea) is working towards reducing water usage with its mosques initiative by replacing older taps with newer, more efficient, models. This is part of the utility’s Tarsheed programme, which aims to slash water and electricity consumption by 20 per cent by 2030.

ADDC, the emirate’s facilities management company known as Musanada, and the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (Awqaf) launched the project for all public mosques, and it is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

“The programme is one of a series of initiatives that we’re making available to our customers to help them reduce their water and electricity consumption,” said Saeed Al Suwaidi, the managing director of ADDC.

Retrofits such as this can save much more money, with the energy efficiency industry growing yearly as a result.

The International Energy Agency estimates that global investment in this sector was in excess of US$220 billion in 2015, a 6 per cent increase from the year before. And investment was strongest in the property sector.

While there are more than 1,300 mosques in Abu Dhabi, structures built after 2010 already comply with the emirate’s sustainability code known as Estidama.

ADDC began piloting the water-saving project last year at five mosques, and the results showed the automatic shut-off taps reduced water usage by up to 40 per cent.

The new taps have a flow of 4 to 6 litres per minute per tap – unlike the older faucets that deliver water at 10 litres per minute – as well as a 15-second shut-off time to further reduce waste. ADDC said that the retrofit will help to save about 1.75 billion litres of water a year.

Mr Al Suwaidi said the programme would reinforce the “culture and practices of water efficiency across mosques” in Abu Dhabi. There will be dedicated sermons delivered during Friday prayers in order to relay the message of the programme, ADDC said.