Building a Resource Protective Wastewater Treatment Plant.

WABAG successfully designed and constructed the SANLIURFA Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in southeastern Turkey, incorporating innovative and sustainable technologies. The facility treats municipal wastewater using mechanical, biological, and UV disinfection processes, preparing treated water for reuse in irrigation and utility purposes. The sludge is anaerobically stabilized, generating biogas used to achieve over 75% energy self-sufficiency. 

The plant, that has one of the world’s largest solar drying bed, not only efficiently treats wastewater from more than 700,000 people but also use the free of heavy metals and contaminants dried sludge as fertilizer, making it unique in Türkiye. 

Project Features:

• Scope: EPC, turnkey execution. The plant is built with an initial capacity of 144,833 m³/day and designed for future expansion to 165,136 m³/day, serving a population equivalent (PE) of 721,000. It was constructed on a turnkey basis and co-financed by the European Union.

• Treatment Process:
  • Mechanical pre-treatment
  • Biological treatment (activated sludge for carbon removal)
  • UV disinfection
  • Anaerobic sludge digestion
  • Biogas utilization for electricity generation (75% energy self-sufficiency)
  • Solar sludge drying with exhaust air treatment

• Impact: This energy-neutral WWTP sets a benchmark for sustainable design, combining efficient water reuse, energy recovery from biogas, and eco-friendly sludge management. The facility significantly reduces its carbon footprint by utilizing solar energy for sludge drying, while the treated sludge supports local agricultural irrigation.