Mansoura City, the capital of Dakahlia Governorate in Egypt with nearly 900,000 residents, was suffering from a drinking water shortage. Potable water demands were not being met and the people had to install water tanks that were not being regularly cleaned. Many of the residents suffered from kidney failure.

USAID completed construction of a new water treatment plant with a capacity of 1,200 liters per second which will accommodate population growth in Mansoura until year 2025. Due to the shortage of land available to build the plant, an innovative compact plant layout was used for optimizing space, and maximizing operation and maintenance efficiencies. The plant’s compact design approach resulted in cost savings during construction and has the capability for future expansion to 2400 litres per second. The plant was built on 13.5 acres, while similar plant capacities are built on twice the area.

The total cost of the new water treatment plant is $49.5 million serving 650,000 residents. The potable water improved the health conditions for the people of Mansoura. Girls who were hauling water from public water sources are now able to attend school. Increased provisions of potable water also stimulated industrial and commercial development, encouragingeconomic growth in Mansoura City.