<Dl> <Dt> Seawater desalination </Dt> </Dl> <P> In 2010, there were eight seawater desalination plants in Abu Dhabi owned and operated by eight joint ventures: Tawilah A, Tawilah B, the five Umm al Nar plants and the Al Mirfa plant . These joint ventures between the government and foreign companies, which are allowed to own up to 40% of the shares, are called Independent Water & Power Producers (IWPPs). They operate under Build - Own - Operate (BOO) contracts with the government and their energy is supplied by fossil fuels . In the model green city called Masdar City, four smaller pilot desalination plants that will use solar power are nearing completion as of early 2015 . </P> <Dl> <Dt> Groundwater </Dt> </Dl> <P> 90% of groundwater in Abu Dhabi Emirate is saline, in some cases up to eight times as much as seawater . There are only two freshwater aquifers . Natural groundwater recharge is estimated at about 300 million cubic meters per year . Brackish groundwater is mostly used for the irrigation of date palms which are relatively salt - tolerant . Recharge dams have been built on wadis in order to prevent flood water to flow into the sea, recharging it instead to aquifers . Unplanned and uncontrolled groundwater withdrawals, especially for agriculture and forestry, total over 2,000 million cubic meters per year and have resulted in declining groundwater levels and quality . </P>

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