Water's second life
Every time you shower or flush, the water goes on a journey. In the UAE most of it is cleaned and used again. Guess how much, follow one drop through a treatment plant, then decide where it is allowed to go next.
Follow one drop
Drag the drop along the plant, or step through the five stages. Watch what gets taken out at each one.
Where does it go next?
Clean, but not for drinking. Sort each use: is recycled water allowed for it in the UAE today? Drag a card into a box, or tap a card and then tap a box.
Two goals, one drop
The world and the UAE have both set targets for wastewater. Here is where we stand.
What you can do
Pee, poo and toilet paper. Wet wipes, cotton buds and plastic jam the screens at stage 1 and can block pipes before they even get there.
Cooking oil and fat harden in pipes. Let them cool, pour them into a closed container and put it in the bin.
Plants are built to remove dirt and germs, not every chemical. Return old medicines to a pharmacy that takes them back.
A sign that says "not for drinking" next to a tap or sprinkler in a park means recycled water. Don't drink it, and keep children from playing in it.
Sources: WAM, via Aletihad (30 September 2025): Abu Dhabi treats more than 1 million m³ of wastewater a day and about 80% is reused, for landscaping, farms and industry, with the aim of reusing 100% by the end of 2026. WAM and Gulf News (21 August 2023), citing Dubai Municipality: Dubai reuses about 90% of its treated water and aims for 100% by 2030; about 265 million m³ a year irrigates about 10,400 hectares of green space; over 6 million m³ went to district cooling in 2022; recycled water is also used for firefighting and artificial lakes. Department of Energy Abu Dhabi, Recycled Water and Biosolids Regulations 2021: the highest grade (tertiary treatment plus disinfection) may be used to irrigate urban areas and flush toilets, secondary-treated water may irrigate remote forests, chilled-water cooling plants may use it with Legionella testing, and use for drinking, cooking, bathing and swimming is strictly prohibited; limits include 10 mg/l BOD, 10 mg/l suspended solids, 5 NTU turbidity and 0.5–1 mg/l residual chlorine. Department of Energy Abu Dhabi, Water Management in District Cooling Plants policy (January 2023): recycled water listed as a source for cooling plants. UAE government portal u.ae: UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, including raising recycling and safe reuse of treated water to 95%. UN-Water, Progress on Wastewater Treatment 2024: SDG target 6.3 text; 42% of household wastewater worldwide was not safely treated in 2022. UNEP, Wastewater: Turning Problem to Solution (2023): only 11% of treated wastewater worldwide is reused. The treatment plant drawing is simplified; real plants vary. Checked October 2026.