Septech, which is active in the wastewater field and in the construction of marinas, has announced it will install two sewage treatment plants, one in Sharjah for a major regional construction company and the other at a leading university in Saudi Arabia.

The company said it would rely on significantly reduced levels of energy compared to conventional sewage treatment plants, yet have the capacity to treat populations of up to 5,000 people per day. It also manufactures and distributes a self-sealing waterproofing system called NeoPanel that addresses challenges associated with building in the Middle East where construction often takes place below the water table.
And in a recent development, Dubai Sports City, the world’s first purpose-built integrated sports city, announced that Septech and its joint venture partner, Turnpoint Australia, had been awarded the contract for constructing the Ernie Els Design golf course, the Dunes, located within Victory Heights, the 25-million sq ft residential, gated golf community in the heart of the sports city.
Construction of the golf course that spans 86 hectares will be completed in May 2007, ready for the official opening of the golf course later that year, Septech Turnpoint will work closely with Troon Gulf, the world leader in upscale golf course management, development and marketing, who are acting as gold development consultants for The Dunes.
Hefferman said Turnpoint’s reputation for producing world-class golf courses in Australia and internationally, combined with Septech’s knowledge of the market and expertise in waste and wastewater treatment and irrigation, would make the company unique.
As regards the construction of the two sewage plants, Septech said they would utilize a modern biological treatment process that keeps costs and energy levels down while reducing the need for excessive equipment, maintenance, labour and operating costs. Each of the installations will be built at a cost of Dh1 million.
“The aeration tanks we’ve recommended for the contracts are 70 per cent smaller than conventional tanks supplied by our competitors and use a process developed in Norway, suitable for sewage as well as industrial effluents,” said Septech managing director, David Heffernan. 
“Septech secured the contracts because both clients wanted sewage treatment plant installations that took up minimal space, had the capacity to meet labour camp and university population demands but at the same time, were energy efficient,” Heffernan added.
Septech’s managing director went on to say that the installations use modular designs that are easy to expand, maintain and control.
Septech has a substantial understanding of the local market as well as access to international knowledge via the collective experience of its team and joint venture partners.  Located in the UAE for 10 years, Septech has conducted process engineering and supplied designs and equipment for a range of municipal, industrial water and wastewater clients, including Kerzner, Emirates Airlines, members of the UAE Ruling Family and Etisalat Academy.
Septech Emirates’ wastewater division manager, Dr Saad Alani, said Septech was expanding its operations in the region. “The company has consistently demonstrated operational strength and exceptional management capabilities and has strategic partnerships and sound relationships with various companies in Europe, Australia and Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Alani also commented that Septech boasted the use of leading-edge technology that benefited the environment and the industry as a whole.
Septech has introduced BioSol to the Middle East, a technology with the capacity to ‘switch off’ bacteria that form biofilms, home to billions of odour-forming bacteria. “The technology does not rely on the use of chemicals, and its fair treatment on the environment and the people working with the technology is indicative of Septech’s overriding philosophy,” said Alani.
In the field of marina construction, it was announced earlier this year that Septech had been appointed by two contractors working for the US Navy and the Royal Court of the Sultanate of Oman to complete marina installations in the UAE and Oman.  Septech said its partnership in the Middle East with the world’s oldest and largest marina design and construction company, Bellingham Marine Australia (BMA) along with its flexible approach to marina design were the reasons for its selection.
The US Navy has appointed Septech to replace eight existing jetties currently located at Jebel Ali Port. Safety boats and patrol vessels guarding US Navy ships are berthed at the jetties which need replacing to better suit the requirements of the Navy.
“We are replacing the existing berths with the Bellingham Marine Unifloat system,” said Heffernan. “This system utilises floating concrete pontoons which we cast, according to customer specifications in our factory in Ajman. The pontoons are reputed for their stability and durability and our partner, Bellingham Marine, has previously installed similar pontoons for the US Navy, Army, Marine and Coast Guard elsewhere in the world and this reinforced our suitability for the work required in Jebel Ali,” he added.
 For the Royal Court of the Sultanate of Oman, Septech has installed a 60 m-long landing jetty and wooden deck for the Ruler’s private palace situated in the picturesque Old Muscat harbour. The landing jetty has been equipped with power and lighting and represents an increasing number of marina installations by Septech in the Sultanate.
At a boat show held recently, Septech demonstrated the Unifloat system and launched its latest aesthetic marina finishes allowing developers and private jetty owners to customise a variety of original finishes on their marinas.
A specialist, glow-in-the-dark finishing product that comes in a variety of colours enables pontoons to glow at night. Other aesthetic elements on display included client logos, emblems and patterns embedded into the finished conrete surface with or without the addition of colour. A variety of jewels can even be embedded into concrete pontoons according to individual client tastes and preferences.
Septech also won a contract to build a 60-plus ‘boutique’ berth marina at the Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa in Muscat. The seabed at the site was made up of large rocks. When Septech builds marinas, it individually engineers them for their durability, but in the case of the Barr Al Jissa project, it recommended Unifloat floating concrete pontoons and the use of internationally recognised Seaflex anchors because the conditions were not suited to the traditional use of steel pipes.
The marinas supplied by Septech are made of concrete and located above the surface of the seabed. They have the added benefits of being better for the underwater environment and promoting sea life as coral starts to grow on the submerged concrete.
Last year, Septech was appointed to build two additional pontoons in Al Ashkarah, south of Muscat, an additional pontoon in Lima in the Khasab region and a further two in Sohar.
Prior to the installations, local fishermen had nowhere to secure their boats. The floating, concrete pontoons require minimal maintenance and were manufactured in Septech’s purpose-built factory in Ajman.
Each dock was individually engineered for durability and designed to serve the needs of a variety of boats, from traditional dhows, patrol vessels and recreational boats to large, commercial fishing boats.
Septech’s marina division manager is Paul Lane, who has worked in the marina and related industries for over a decade. His experience includes project managing the construction and installation of a 50-berth marina for the Crystal Resort in Saudi Arabia and spearheading the redevelopment of the North East’s premier marina, Hartlepool Marina in the UK.