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18 Mar, 2010

MENA Infrastructure Q & A With Trojan’s David Tomowich

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The water and wastewater sector experienced rapid growth in 2008 fuelled by huge investments in infrastructure, but the global economic crisis is now expected to restrain market growth. What impact has the crisis had on the sector in your opinion?

David Tomowich: As we all know, water is vital to survival and therefore proper treatment of water, including disinfection, is key to maintaining a healthy community, environment and economy. The global economic crisis has been felt within the industry on a project level as some projects have been delayed or even cancelled due to funding re-prioritisation or lack of residential development and construction. Having said that, the water industry overall continues to grow since water is such a vital resource. Even during tough economic times there is usually a focus on infrastructure that includes developing the supply of safe reliable water treatment.

What are the biggest challenges facing the water industry in the Middle East? How is your solution best placed to tackle these challenges?

David Tomowich: The Middle East is experiencing unprecedented growth that will naturally put a lot of strain on the existing infrastructure in place to treat water. A big challenge may be the planning as well as having resources in place to keep up with the growth and demand for water and wastewater treatment – especially considering the water shortages already experienced in most middle-eastern countries. Another challenge for the Middle East will be to put in place and enforce regulations that ensure minimum water treatment standards are being met during this period of rapid growth and beyond. Trojan’s UV disinfection solutions have played an integral part in hundreds of reuse and water recycling plans worldwide. UV can easily be installed into existing wastewater or drinking water plants to increase levels of public health protection. In terms of meeting sustainability objectives, UV offers a safe chemical-free approach to disinfection with an environmental footprint significantly lower than alternative disinfectants or desalination.

Governments in GCC countries have identified municipal wastewater treatment as the priority area for multiple reasons including the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Where do you see the main growth opportunities in the water and wastewater sector and what are you doing in this area?

David Tomowich: In the drinking water sector, Trojan is designing and providing ultraviolet systems that protect the public against potentially harmful protozoa, bacteria and viruses. To date, these drinking water installations tend to be on a smaller scale. We are encouraging the adoption of UV disinfection technology by larger facilities – the benefits to the cities and communities are significant. Regulations, installations and experience is available globally and can be drawn upon as needed in the Middle East. UV disinfection has played a key role in the Middle East for over a decade and will continue to be a growth market. The demand for reliable technology and the use of best design practices needs to be a priority of regulatory agencies, consultants, the end-user and equipment suppliers alike. Meeting the demands of growing populations and addressing water scarcity will only be successful if new standards of treatment are formulated and adopted into future water treatment plans.

A recent Frost and Sullivan report concludes that the water and wastewater market is set to grow to US$1.87 billion by 2013. What are your thoughts on the water and wastewater industry in the MENA region over the coming three years? What do you expect to see happen and what do you hope for the sector?

David Tomowich: We expect to see significant project-related activity including UV applications and significant growth and advancement in the field of water treatment – especially as the economy rebounds and delayed projects move forward. We need to ensure there is proper design, validation and application of technologies in any rapidly growing market to ensure a successful outcome. Industry leaders, regulators, consultants and end-users all need to play a role to ensure objectives are established and met. I expect to see rapid growth in the water and wastewater treatment sectors in the coming years. My hope is that we see additional emphasis on inherently greener technologies and that industry participants take an active role in the development and implementation of critical planning projects, policies and regulations that address water scarcity in the region.

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