The Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper, is an iconic symbol of modern architecture and engineering.
However, alongside its fame and glory, there exists a pervasive myth that the Burj Khalifa lacks proper sewage lines and relies on trucks to remove waste.
So is this really true?
As a long-term resident of Dubai, I’m passionate about correcting the myths and misconceptions about this incredible city. I’ll tell you how the truth couldn’t be any more further away…
Does the Burj Khalifa have a sewage system?
Yes, the Burj Khalifa has a sewer system and is connected to the main sewage system of Dubai. Contrary to the myth, it’s one of the most advanced sewage infrastructures in the world. Engineering specialists from Hitachi were bought in to create its advanced wastewater treatment infrastructure, especially for Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountain.
How does Burj Khalifa’s advanced sewage system work
The Burj Khalifa uses technologies such as Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) units and Reverse Osmosis (RO) to treat wastewater, which is then reused for maintaining the Dubai Fountain water levels.
Due to how quickly water evaporates in Dubai’s extreme heat, Dubai Fountain loses large amounts of water over time. This meant Dubai needed a solution and flew in specialist Hitachi engineers to solve it!
Ultimately creating, at the time, the first-of-its-kind wastewater treatment facility for both Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall. Dubai also wanted an ecological solution, as there is a lack of freshwater sources in the desert.
The Burj Khalifa offered an opportunity to solve both issues! What to do with waste water and how to solve Dubai Fountain’s water shortage. Creating an advanced treatment process to remove all impurities.
Here’s an informational video by Hitachi:
Dubai’s sewage infrastructure issues
Early Dubai infrastructure issues are what led to the myth with the footage of waste trucks lining up but these issues were resolved with significant upgrades post-2009.
However! They never affected the Burj Khalifa and it was mostly labour camps due to their remote locations where waste trucks needed to be used. So it’s unclear how the Burj Khalifa became involved in the myth other than potentially being used to grab people’s attention.
But more on the origin below…
Origins of the ‘No Sewage System in Dubai’ Myth
Why were there lots of poop trucks in Dubai?
The original video was from 2009 and was uploaded by CDBSmithy2. It is the only video the user uploaded to YouTube and likely they were completely surprised by how viral the video became.
The line of poop trucks was due to the speed of the vast expansion of Dubai’s residents in a short time. There were enough sewage lines built for residential buildings but not for the large amount of construction workers that also came to work on the city.
This meant the sewer system couldn’t keep up with demand and resulted in a large line of sewage trucks queuing up to the water recycling plant.
Some residential buildings further out also weren’t yet connected to Dubai’s main sewer system, this meant the use of cesspits and manual drainage by trucks.
However, the Dubai sewer system has been vastly upgraded since the video and has continued to be upgraded over the years.
So it’s very rare to see sewage trucks on the road in Dubai these days.
Final Thoughts on the Dubai Sewer System
This persistent rumour is an attempt to discredit the incredible ingenuity of Dubai as a hub for technology and human advancement.
It seems to be human nature that since Dubai developed at such an incredible pace and scale, there must be something wrong hiding underneath.
Despite such rumours being false, they have never the less proven to spread easily. There’s even been a large British news publication that published the completely false news! So it’s not surprising many people fell for this lie.
So now you know the truth about the Burj Khalifa’s water system, it even may change how you look at Dubai Fountain!
Fascinated with the Burj Khalifa? Here are more articles we have all about this famous building:
- How many floors is the Burj Khalifa? Plus other interesting facts to know
- All the restaurants inside the Burj Khalifa and which have the best view
- Full guide from a local on visiting the Burj Khalifa including which are the best tickets to buy
- Alternatives to visiting the Burj Khalifa for attractions with amazing views
- Best hotels close to the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall plus which have connecting tunnels
- Restaurants with a view of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai for you to try during your vacation
- Facts about the Burj Al Arab, another world famous structure in Dubai
- Was the Halloween drone show in front of Burj Khalifa real? Find out inside
Commonly asked questions
Does the Burj Khalifa have plumbing?
Yes the Burj Khalifa has a very advanced plumbing system due to the height of the building, since it requires huge amounts of water pressure to push water all the way up to the top. Apartments inside are modern with all the expected basics such as toilets, sinks and showers.
