The residents of Airport, King Fahd and Wa’irah districts east of Madinah have complained of frequent water supply cuts that have sometimes lasted up to a week.

Dozens of citizens crowded in front of water distribution centers to get their hands on a water truck, causing huge crowding on Airport Road.

They complained about the high prices of water trucks, which can cost up to SR300 each. They also demanded that strict control be exercised to stop owners from manipulating high demand for personal gain.

Muhammad Faqi, a resident of King Fahd district, said that he has suffered water cuts as frequently as three days a week since he moved to his new neighborhood.

The residents of the Wa’irah district have demanded that the Ministry of Water supply them with water regularly. “Water supplies have been cut off for a week,” complained Abdulmajeed Al-Rashidi.

Waleed Ayed Al-Muthairbi, a resident of the Airport district, said he was surprised to see such huge crowds when he came to a water distribution center to purchase a truck. “I was forced to look elsewhere, although the price of the truck where I went was affordable at SR108,” he added.

Saad Musleh Al-Muhaymizi said that prices range between SR250 and SR300. “There is no unified mechanism for price control,” he added.

“A small water truck costs SR48 but increases to as much as SR500 if demand is high,” said one truck owner who sells water to neighborhoods.

Muhammad Bakhit Ahmad, a foreman, said that crowding is caused by poor supply to the water distribution center.

Saleh bin Abdulaziz, director-general of the Water Department in Madinah, said that water supplies reach the districts on certain days of the week. “Some neighborhoods are supplied water two days a week, which is enough for residents to fill their underground tanks and reservoirs,” he said.