"We can reassure citizens that water discharged from trucks in the canal is all excess groundwater found on the surface in some districts in the city,” the Jeddah municipality said in a statement.

“This water used to cause problems to residents in these areas, but it is not sewage water at all.”

The municipality also said that groundwater was frequently found on the surface of some streets and in the city, especially those areas east of Jeddah's expressway.

According to the municipality, this water has been extracted by licensed trucks as a temporary measure until the completion of a groundwater reduction project aimed at alleviating the problem in the area, especially in the Al-Massad residential district northeast of the city.

"Jeddah municipality has assigned staff round-the-clock to ensure no sewage water is being illegally dumped in the canal," the municipality added.