AL-AHSA: Eighty percent of the people in the country have water bills of under SR100, according to an official from the Water and Electricity Ministry.

Mohammad Al-Saud, the ministry’s undersecretary for water affairs, was quoted as saying by a local newspaper on Friday that those complaining about high bills probably have leaking pipes, which the ministry is dealing with through inspections and repairs.

Speaking at a workshop here, Al-Saud said that this country has over the past 40 years consumed about 650 billion cubic meters of un-renewable ground water. This was enough for the country’s needs over the next 200 years, he said.

He said the new tariffs were announced by the Council of Ministers because of the country’s dependence on desalination plants to meet the needs of the population, which was growing at a rate of 6 percent a year.

Al-Saud rejected reports that ministry officials do not read water meters. However, the ministry would review and solve all complaints from citizens and expatriates in the country.

He said the new tariffs announced by the government only covers 30 percent of the cost of production. The Kingdom produces 4 million cubic meters of desalinated water every day, and distributes 8.5 million cubic meters from 520 dams. There was a scarcity of water in the country because it is located in a desert area that receives very little rain. This means that stored groundwater from the rainy season should be valued and protected.

He said there has been a great deal of wastage in the country over the past number of years and everyone should take responsibility for saving this scarce resource.