JEDDAH: Several people have been held for investigation for allegedly selling drinking water drawn from a drainage canal near Jeddah, the Makkah Governorate said in a statement on Monday.
It said Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Majed ordered an investigation into the issue after a video clip went viral on social media showing water being pumped from a canal in the village of Bahra supposedly as part of the drinking water business.
The video clip shows an electric water pump drawing water from the canal. It does not show where the hose leads to.
After confirming the veracity of the video, several people involved in the operation were arrested and referred for further legal proceedings against them, the governorate said in a statement.
Teams from the National Water Company inspected the location and identified infringements, then officially submitted the matter to pertinent authorities to address the situation.
The company said the sewage channel that appeared in the video is a stream for the triple treatment of sewage water coming from treatment stations in Bahra and Arna, and passing through Jeddah city.
The NWC inspected the areas surrounding the channel and the treatment stations in Bahra and Arna to make sure there were no additional infringements.
Bahra is located along the road to Makkah city from Jeddah.
WATCH: Water from drainage canal allegedly sold as safe drinking water
