Disposal of wastewater harms sea environment

Disposing wastewater into the sea through the estuaries along the Jeddah Corniche is still ongoing, despite the severe environmental hazards. These may cause a decline in fish production rates and the destruction of shellfish productive areas. Serious diseases can come as a result of an environmental dysfunction, a local newspaper reported.
The Mayor’s Office in said it was investigating the exact number of companies involved. It has closed down 309 companies that were illegally dumping wastewater, and delivered notices to violators through its sub-municipalities.
Environmental expert, Abdulhamid Taib, said that disposing wastewater in the sea is a crime to the environment, as it contains harmful organic materials that affect the quality of the water, decreases oxygen levels in the water, and prevents sunshine from penetrating, thus causing harm to marine life.
“Sewage water is loaded with bacteria, viruses, funguses and algae, that may lead to illnesses if the water was ingested accidentally,” said Taib, adding that no solution has been reached to address this problem up till now.
Faisal Al-Harbi, a diver, said that all divers avoid swimming in these spots. “This is because coral reefs have died in the area and you cannot see clearly under water. The water also smells bad,” he added.
Wastewater spills are the main source of seawater pollution, said Sami Mohammad Ali Al-Ghamdi, environmental expert. “Sometimes tourism facilities pour wastewater directly into the sea without treatment,” he said.
Wastewater treatment stations can also become culprits when disposing untreated water that exceeds the station’s capacity. “Sewage networks sometimes dispose water, legally or otherwise, through drainage or groundwater networks.
The spokesman of the General Presidency of Meteorology and Environment Protection, Hussein Al-Qahtani, said that a center will be opened to receive any reports on natural and marine pollutions or disasters. “How to properly deal with pollution or coral reef destruction depends on the size of the problem,” he said. When the party concerned could not address the problem, then national efforts would be united to handle the situation. Otherwise a regional and international plan of action would be organized for this purpose, said Al-Qahtani.