Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) announced on 15 November that it has completed 44 per cent of the project to extend and upgrade 418 kilometres of water pipes throughout the emirate.

The AED167m ($45m) scheme is proceeding on schedule and will be completed in 2015. The work involves extending 100-450-millimetre glass reinforced epoxy (GRE) water transmission pipes.

Dewa is improving water transmission networks in new areas and upgrading the existing network to reduce water losses. The utility is also replacing old connections to residential areas.

This is part of a strategy to strengthen the water supply network and increase water flow capacity to meet rising demand, which is important to the social, economic and tourism development of Dubai, according to Saeed Mohammed al-Tayer, CEO of Dewa.