The Burj Khalifa, the world’s highest skyscraper, is located in Dubai, the flashiest city in the desert. At a staggering 830 metres, the glittering spike of glass is 500 metres higher than our creation, London’s Shard, and is the biggest structure in the world.
But our largest skyscraper does have one feature that the Burj severely lacks: a functional sewage system.
Because, despite its obvious impressiveness, the Burj is not connected to the city’s wastewater infrastructure, meaning that its sewage must be removed in an inventive, if filthy, manner. Each day, a group of actual garbage trucks arrive at the glistening tower and bear the responsibility.
Then, this rubbish is carted out of town by the most odorous platoon you can imagine.
You may be asking yourself why someone would spend $1.5 billion on a skyscraper if they didn’t make sure there was a garbage disposal system in place. It turns out, though, that the Burj is not unique in its configuration.
After the Burj was finished, Dubia was still feeling the effects of the 2008 financial crisis, thus it was determined that adding the Burj to the city’s already overburdened wastewater system would be a needless financial waste.
The developers were certain that it would be less expensive to truck the waste out daily than to upgrade the sewer system in the short future.
Nonetheless, the structure can house 35,000 people and can produce an astounding 15 tonnes of sewage per day.
The sewage system is now being renovated, although it won’t be finished until 2025. Therefore, if you do visit the Burj, maybe close the windows and keep a watch out for the orange truck convoy.
