Dear KAUST Community,
Last Tuesday, I informed you of a major break to the intake pipeline to our water desalination plant that led to a suspension of our normal operations. At that time, I shared that these repairs would take time and a team of Saudi Aramco experts had been brought in to assist in the needed repair efforts. I am pleased to inform you that last night the Saudi Aramco team succeeded in completing the necessary repairs and that today we are re-starting our desalination plant. As you can imagine, the start-up process will take time and need careful testing and monitoring.
As a result, I expect we will resume normal operations on Monday, November 3, 2014. This means campus classes, the KAUST School, and day care will restart. Also, all staff will return to work. My top priority is safety and the well-being of our campus and community. If we discover any problems during the start-up of the desalination plant, we will provide a further update.
To ensure a smooth start on Monday, we will use Sunday to get all facilities and laboratories ready and safe for operations. I am requesting that faculty and managers come to work on Sunday to assess their work areas and prepare for a normal workday on Monday. You should expect to receive a separate communication from your Management advising you on what to do next, which may include reporting to work on Sunday. If you have not heard from your Management by this evening, please contact them directly for further instructions.
Please let me assure you that we are taking all necessary steps to avoid further interruptions to our campus and residential area water supplies. During the restart process, we will continue to receive trucked-in water as needed to support the community’s needs. As always, you should remain mindful of your water consumption.
Once again, I would like to thank you for your patience over the past few days. We have all been tested as a community and I have been very proud of our resilience, positive attitude and care for each other’s well being.
President Jean-Lou Chameau