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'Saboteurs behind disruption of water supplies in Jordan Valley town'

By Hana Namrouqa - May 22,2019 - Last updated at May 22,2019

AMMAN — Authorities are investigating the theft and sabotage of three wells that supply Deir Alla district in central Jordan Valley with water, a government official said on Wednesday.

Water supply in most parts of Deir Alla district, with a population of over 70,000, is now disrupted due to the sabotage acts on three main wells in the Abul Zaighan area, ministry spokesperson Omar Salameh said.

“The wells pump around 300 cubic metres of water per hour to Deir Alla district. The theft and sabotage of the three wells is clearly intentional, as the electricity cables at the three sites were stolen, the operational panels sabotaged and the gates rammed down,” Salameh said.

He underlined that the three wells, located near the Zarqa River and within a wooded area, are secured with steel gates, highlighting that the wells pump water to Abu Zeighan water pumping station, which treats the water and pumps it to people in Deir Alla.

“The water distribution programme in the area is now disrupted due to this act of sabotage,” Salameh said.

He noted that technical teams have been working around the clock to allow pumping from the three wells to resume.

“There will be disruption in the water supply, but this is a matter that is out of our hands. We are working to fix the problem and we appreciate people’s patience, as we understand that Deir Alla witnesses high temperatures during the dry season,” Salameh noted.

The government official said that security authorities are now investigating the incident and tracking down the violators.

The ministry repeatedly warned against polluting or sabotaging elements of the water infrastructure, indicating that stiffer penalties for infractions against the water system have been introduced under the amended Water Authority of Jordan Law.

Those who abuse water carriers and mains, wastewater, pumping, purification or desalination stations, cause pollution to water resources, pipes or stations used for drinking water, and those who dig or are involved in the digging of wells without obtaining a licence, face a prison sentence of up to five years and fines of up to JD7,000.

In addition, violators of water and wastewater projects can be jailed for up to three years and fined up to JD5,000 under the amendments, while all penalties are doubled in the case of repeat offences.

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