Illegal fixture discovered on water main in Amman

AMMAN — Authorities on Sunday discovered an illegal fixture on a water main that supplies the capital with a third of its water needs, according to a government official.

The illegal pipe was extracting thousands of cubic metres per day from the main carrier, which conveys water from the Zai Water Treatment Plant in Jerash to the Dabouq reservoir in west Amman, a Water Ministry official told The Jordan Times on Sunday.

“The violator is a contractor in charge of the expansion of a street in Hummar, which is the location of the violation. The contractor installed a pipe on the main carrier, thus risking the pollution of a major water source and stealing the public’s share of water,” said the official, who requested to remain unnamed.

A team from the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) and the Jordan Water Company (Miyahuna), accompanied by members of the Public Security Department, raided the location and arrested a tanker driver who was filling his vehicle with water from the main carrier.

“After questioning the tanker driver, the authorities identified the violator and all those who assisted him in the offence. The contractor was stealing water to sell it to people,” the official added.

He said all those involved will be penalised, noting that the 2014 WAJ Law, which went into effect earlier this month, lays down strict penalties against violators of water networks, as well as those who dig illegal wells and pollute water resources.

Under new amendments introduced to the legislation, those who abuse water carriers and mains, wastewater, pumping, purification or desalination stations, or cause the pollution of water resources, pipes or stations used for drinking water, or are involved in the digging of wells without obtaining a licence will be jailed for up to five years and fined up to JD7,000. 

In addition, violators of WAJ water and wastewater projects will be jailed for up to three years and fined up to JD5,000, according to the amended WAJ Law.

All penalties stipulated under the new law will be doubled in the case of repeat offenders, according to Water Minister Hazem Nasser, who noted in a previous statement that Article 31 of the legislation classifies water conveyance schemes and pipes as “strategic, vital projects”.

The Water Ministry is continuing with its “serious crackdown” on all forms of violations on water resources and systems, according to the official.

The campaign was launched in August 2013 to end violations on water networks and seal all illegal wells.

Since the onset of the campaign, authorities have confiscated over 140 drilling rigs, sealed more than 240 illegal wells and dismantled almost 10,000 pipes that were diverting tens of thousands of cubic metres every day.