Construction companies still pumping waste into the water in Al Raha

It is not known what the substance is, but it turns the water white in a canal running next to Al Zeina

Residents living in Raha Beach say developers are dumping waste in the water and allowing sewage to leak into the sea near where they swim. Courtesy: Agnieszka Przybyla

Residents of a beachside community in the capital said construction companies have been pumping waste into a nearby canal again.

Their complaints come two weeks after a developer said it would investigate.

Residents living in Al Zeina in Al Raha Beach said pipes coming from a construction site behind the development had been pumping liquid waste into the canal, turning the water white.

The issue has occurred on and off for some time, they said.

Aldar told The National in January that it had been made aware of residents' concerns and was looking into them.

But this time the developer did not respond when asked for a comment.

It is not known what the waste is comprised of, but some residents believe it is a mixture of silt and sand being flushed out from the storm drains of the new development.

Others think it might be construction waste.

"It looks like concrete," Charlotte Moran said.

“It puts me off going swimming.”

Ms Moran said she was disappointed to see the waste return.

Meanwhile, a separate problem affecting another construction site nearby, between Al Hadeel and Lamar Residences, appears to have been resolved, residents said.

Maria Saavedra said she complained to Aldar and the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi after she saw what looked like sewage leaking into the sea at the site regularly. She said she noticed the problem on her regular runs in the area.

“I provided my photos as evidence and it was indeed sewage,” she said.

Ms Saavedra said sewage from at least two toilet facilities for workers “

was being hosed down on to the promenade and into the canal, which is absolutely disgusting".

"I let them know that this wasn't an isolated incident but something that had been happening on a daily basis for a couple of months.

“Families with children and toddlers have been walking and cycling all over sewage for weeks.”

She said she was told Environment Agency inspectors visited the site and the issue had now been resolved.

Strict rules govern construction work and the disposal of waste material in Abu Dhabi.

In 2018, the municipality flagged 67 offences and issued 53 warnings to building contractors and consultants for not abiding by Environment, Health and Safety standards.

The municipality inspected construction sites across Abu Dhabi emirate, including Al Raha Beach.

Dumping waste illegally was among the offences recorded.