JEDDAH, 11 June 2008 — The water shortages seen in Jeddah in the summer have been exacerbated this past week due to damage to a main water line at Prince Majed Street in addition to other minor pipes in various districts, a source at the Ministry of Water and Electricity, who did not want to be named, said yesterday.

Many people affected by the supply disruption lined up for a fifth day at the Aziziah water distribution plant, which is currently giving preferential treatment to Saudis who come for water at the expense of non-Saudis waiting in line.

Meanwhile, many others are waiting up to 11 hours to obtain a water tanker for home delivery.

“I came at 3 a.m. to buy a ticket for a water tanker and it took me until 2 p.m. to reach the counter. When I came to the counter I was told that water is only sold to Saudis,” said Ikramuddin, a Bangladeshi worker in a private company.

Ikrammudin said he had no choice but to leave and come back with his Saudi sponsor so he could get a number.

“I had to get my sponsor to get a number and drive him back to his home and then come back to stand in the line,” he said. “I’m so tired.”

The water distribution plant in Aziziah has two major queues, one for Saudis and the other for foreigners. Both lines were equally long, but the expatriate line was filled with men who had to bring along their Saudi sponsors to wait with them.

Outside the water center, the black market was seen flourishing yesterday with illegal vendors marking up the price of water from SR114 for a large truck (the price inside the center) to as much as SR600.

Technically this water scalping is illegal, but not one policeman was seen enforcing laws against this price gouging and customers unwilling to go through the hassle were eagerly buying the water.

Black market vendors ostensibly are filling their truck up at the water center, then parking outside and selling their deliveries for the steep markup.

But Ahmad Al-Aqili, a Saudi who was standing in the long queue of the Aziziah plant, said he refuses to buy water on the black market because he is unsure whether the water is safe or not.

He suspects that not everyone outside is even getting his or her water from the center. “Why would I pay more money for water that could be contaminated?” Al-Aqili said.

He speculated that at least some of them might be drawing water from wells in the eastern side of the city that have been contaminated by the nearby lake of raw, untreated sewage, which locals call the Musk Lake.