JEDDAH, 26 October 2004 — Despite rumors circulating in Jeddah, the water shortage in the city is not due to broken pipes, Mohammed Bugdady, director general for Water in the Makkah Region confirmed yesterday. He confirmed that there is a shortage, but indicated that other less obvious factors were involved.
He said that logistical and organizational concerns were factors in the shortage. Internal problems in the Azizia-Faisaliyah distribution center and the fact that it is serving an extremely large number of tankers every day were combining to put pressure on the system. Many of the tankers come considerable distances to take on loads for delivery in outlying areas.
To ease this problem, he said, “we are trying to make new centers both on the Makkah Road and in the Briman area, as well as trying to expand Azizia-Faisaliyah.
“The quantity and quality of the water has not changed over the last three or four years,” he told Arab news. “The shortage of water is not a single dimensional issue. There are psychological factors involved.”
Abu Omar, a Jeddah resident who also lives in Madinah, said that the water shortage was popularly linked to the surge of pilgrims arriving for Umrah during Ramadan. “It happens regularly in Madinah and judging by the tremendous crowds in Makkah yesterday, I feel that this is what has been since the first day of Ramadan in Jeddah too.”
Bugdady said that about 95 percent of the potable water in Jeddah is produced by desalination plants. The gross output is 630,000 cubic meters a day (CMD). The local plants produce 402,000 CMD and Shuaibah contributes 228,000 CMD. The balance comes from underground sources “mainly wadis” located around the city.
Ninety percent of the water is distributed throughout the city by a mains network, but 10 percent is still tankered to domestic storage tanks.
“Delivered through the mains,” said Bugdady, “a SR60 medium size tanker of water is only SR1. The very low water bills do not discourage profligate use of water or a culture of conservation. This sends out the message that water is cheap,” he said.
He identified consumer awareness as one of the major elements in the overall problem and the way that existing and future regulations are implemented as another.
“The rate of consumption of water in Jeddah is high,” said Bugdady, “And the price is so low. We are not pushing enough for water conservation.”
The recent initiative to urge the public to conserve water launched by the Minister for Water Abdullah Al-Husseyan is in its early stages.
The introduction of higher water charges is under review. Experience worldwide shows that increased water charge is an effective demand side management tool and produces revenue for maintenance of the water supply and distribution networks.
It has often been a politically sensitive issue and to be successful requires acceptance by users who are aware of both the costs and shortages of water.
