Water utilization in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Type Thesis

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Summary

Water utilization in the City of Riyadh has changed significantly since 1980 because of high water demand. In the past Riyadh was an oasis existing on local wells for its water needs. By the 1950s the population was 82,000. This figure swelled to 1.6 million causing significant water problems for the urban area. The development of external water sources to include alternative groundwater sources as well as desalinization plants which "import" water from the Arabian Gulf are in response to the rapid urbanization and expansion of the city. This expansion focused attention to alternative water sources and reliability of water to supply the demands of the city. Water sources that have been investigated in this study are the shallow and deep aquifers. The Minjur aquifer has been used since 1950, while the Wasia aquifer has been supplying Riyadh with groundwater since 1980. About 50% of water consumed in Riyadh is desalinated water. Wastewater is very important source for the agricultural sector. As mentioned previously, water utilization is increasing in Riyadh because of population growth and expansion of recreational areas in addition to a slight increase in water use by the industrial sector.