Water quality
Sweet, Salt and TSE Water: The Differences
By the Dubai Water Tankers team · Published · Updated
What is the difference between sweet, salt and TSE water?
Sweet water is potable sweet water, mostly desalinated, for homes, pools, concrete and welfare. Salt water is non-potable water with a high salt content, used on construction sites for compaction and dust control. TSE (treated sewage effluent) is recycled wastewater, used in Dubai mainly for landscape irrigation and some industrial uses. Only sweet water is safe to drink.
- Sweet: potable, for homes, pools, concrete, welfare
- Salt: non-potable, compaction and dust only
- TSE: recycled wastewater for irrigation, never drinking
- We supply sweet and salt water, not TSE
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| Sweet water | Salt water | TSE water | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Fresh, potable water | Water with a high salt content | Treated sewage effluent (recycled wastewater) |
| Usual source | Desalination plants, approved stations | Non-potable sources | Sewage treatment plants |
| Drinkable? | Yes | No | No |
| Typical uses | Homes, pools, concrete, curing, welfare, car washes | Soil compaction, dust suppression, site roads | Landscape irrigation, some industrial uses |
| Never use for | — | Drinking, pools, concrete, gardens | Drinking, pools, homes |
Sweet water
Potable water. In Dubai it’s mostly desalinated seawater, filled at approved stations and delivered in sweet-water-only tankers, as Dubai Municipality’s guideline requires. If people will drink it, wash with it or swim in it, or if it goes into concrete, it must be sweet. More: what is sweet water.
Salt water
Non-potable water with a high salt content. It’s cheaper and comes in bigger loads (we arrange 5,000 and 10,000-gallon partner tankers). Good for:
- bringing fill to moisture before compaction,
- spraying haul roads and stockpiles to control dust.
Never use it in concrete or curing. The American Concrete Institute says salt water should not be used to mix steel-reinforced concrete. Keep it away from gardens too, since salt damages plants and soil. Details: salt water vs sweet water on construction sites.
TSE water
Treated sewage effluent is wastewater that has been treated to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants so it can be reused. Dubai Municipality treats sewage at its plants and uses TSE for landscaping and irrigation of public areas, with remaining capacity going to industry.
TSE is not potable water and shouldn’t go into home tanks or pools. It’s typically supplied through a dedicated irrigation network rather than by water tanker. We don’t supply TSE; if you need it for irrigation, ask your community management or Dubai Municipality about the network in your area.
Which should you order?
| Your job | Order |
|---|---|
| Villa or building tank | Sweet |
| Swimming pool | Sweet |
| Concrete, curing, mortar | Sweet |
| Labour camp, site welfare | Sweet |
| Car wash | Sweet |
| Compaction, dust control | Salt |
| Landscape irrigation | Ask about TSE from the network |
Ordering
Say the water type by name every time. “Water” alone isn’t enough. For sweet water see sweet water tanker; for site salt water see salt water tanker.