JEDDAH: In an effort to sidestep the aggravating water crisis in Jeddah, people in some poor neighborhoods have started digging wells near their houses and make sure that they get plenty of cheap water that could at least be used for cleaning requirements.
In the Sabeel district in south Jeddah, where the taps went dry two months ago, people have dug seven wells, Al-Madinah newspaper reported.
“Some of the people here started digging wells near their houses to end the severe water shortage. The municipal water supply is infrequent. Now we are happy that the new wells supply plenty of water, though most of it is not good for drinking. But we can wash and clean (with the water),” said Awad Khoraish, a resident of Sabeel district said.
Now there are seven wells in Sabeel district, which benefit most of the families here, he added. “Our major problem is that the municipal water is not coming to our homes. Water trucks cannot enter to our roads which are too narrow for them,” said Mahdi Al-Bishi.
Abdullah Al-Nahari, a restaurant owner in the neighborhood, said he uses well water only for washing dishes and other cleaning purposes. “We don’t use it for cooking,” he said.
Abdullah Al-Qarni, another local resident, said some of their wells had potable water while others had water that is too salty to drink. “People here believe that there is nothing wrong in drinking the well water if it isn’t salty,” he said.
An expatriate well digger said he used to strike water at seven meters deep in this neighborhood.
“Then we fix a motor to pump the water to an overhead tank. The total cost of digging and storing water would not exceed SR5,000,” he said.
Health officials advise against drinking well water in Jeddah because of issues with the aquifer becoming polluted by seepage from Jeddah’s Briman raw sewage lake. Water taken from wells should be tested. Polluted water can also be a risk when used for washing dishes and bathing.
