Dow Water & Process Solutions, a division of The Dow Chemical Company today recognized PakOasis for one year of operational excellence at its Nawabshah Ultrafiltration (UF) water treatment facility.
The largest of its kind in Pakistan, the facility uses DOW™ Ultrafiltration technology to provide 14 million imperial gallons of fresh, safe drinking water every day, delivering a total of 20 billion liters of water over the past year.
Dow and PakOasis have a history of successful collaboration on water treatment initiatives, whereby Dow provides PakOasis with technologies that enable it to install, commission, operate and maintain UF and reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment projects.
Despite the challenges Pakistan faces with its water supply – including highly saline groundwater, challenges with sanitation and inadequate water supply to satisfy growing demand – PakOasis has successfully demonstrated its ability to supply fresh water to the growing Pakistani population by leveraging these advanced technologies from Dow.
To mark the occasion, representatives from both companies attended an event in Dubai, where Dr. Ilham Kadri, General Manager, Dow Advanced Materials Division, Middle East and Africa, and Commercial Director, Dow Water and Process Solutions, Europe, Middle East and Africa, presented an award to PakOasis CEO Omar Jilani, following a short presentation highlighting PakOasis’ successful use of UF technology from Dow.
"More than 800 million people lack access to safe drinking water globally, and we are grateful to be able to do our part in the quest to enable access to fresh water," said Omar Jilani. "As a global leader in water treatment technologies, Dow has been a great partner in our fight to combat the shortage of potable water in Pakistan, and we are proud of what we have and will be able to accomplish together."
In addition to the Nawabshah project – which was inaugurated last year in the presence of Pakistani officials – the company has successfully completed multiple water treatment projects in collaboration with Dow, supplying fresh water across deserts, arid zones, coastal belts and bulk municipal water supplies. More recently, PakOasis was able to deliver small-sized RO units for flooded areas to help villagers in need.
"At Dow, we believe in combining the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress," said Dr. Kadri. "Our partnership with PakOasis is an excellent example of the convergence of science and the human element: as Pakistan faces challenges in providing fresh water to its communities, PakOasis has demonstrated its ability to supply this much needed water, particularly via the Nawabshah facility."
Improving global access to clean water is one of Dow’s strategic corporate objectives. In 2009, Dow announced that initial research at the planned Dow Middle East and Africa R&D Center at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) would focus on water treatment technologies. The Center aims to deliver innovations with immediate commercial application for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Pakistan and Africa markets.
In July 2011, Dow also announced plans to invest in a best-in-class manufacturing facility for DOW FILMTEC™ RO elements in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In March 2012, Dow announced a Memorandum of Understanding with the Saline Water Conversion Corporation to pursue Joint Development activities in desalination technologies, focusing on regional needs.