JEDDAH, 26 October 2006 — The Department of Water in Jeddah will introduce next week an electronic system at the distribution center in Aziziya as part of efforts to ensure quick supply of water and prevent its sale in the black market.
Mamdouh Al-Shaabi, head of the technical team appointed by the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) to supervise the distribution center, said the system would be linked with the control room as well as the entry and exit gates.
“The new system will facilitate distribution of coupons for water tankers, help discover forgery and put an end to the black market that has caused the price of a SR115 tanker to reach more than SR600,” he told Arab News. The move follows the overcrowding of a large number of people seeking water at the center during Ramadan and Eid. “We have already installed the computer system and its screens and linked it with the network. We are now training tanker operators on data entry,” Shaabi said.
He hinted at the prospects of reducing entry charges of tankers and said a decision on the matter would be taken within two days. He said people gathering at the center would be educated on reducing water consumption and avoiding misuse of water by screening documentaries. “We have tracked down seven cases of selling water in the black market during the past few days and handed the culprits to relevant authorities for questioning,” Shaabi said. He also spoke about measures taken to ensure adequate supply during Eid.
In a previous statement, Water and Electricity Minister Abdullah Al-Hussayen disclosed plans to open a new water distribution center in Briman to reduce pressure on the existing center in Aziziya. “There will be 40 filling stations and 250 water trucks,” he said, adding that each truck would make four trips daily.
The minister said a final solution to the Jeddah water crisis would be found only after the completion of the third desalination plant in Shuaiba. He attributed Jeddah’s water shortage to the growing population and depletion of the Khalees and Wadi Fatma aquifers from 35,000 to 5,000 cubic meters as a result of decrease in rainwater.
