Authorities dismantle 3 illegal pipes stealing over 5,000CM of water a day

AMMAN — The authorities on Wednesday dismantled three illegal pipes that were diverting more than 5,000 cubic metres of water daily to farms in south Amman, according to an official at the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

Two of the pipes were attached to an 800-millimetre water main that conveys water from the Swaqa station, 70 kilometres south of Amman, to a water station in the Amman National Park, off the airport road, the official said. 

The first pipe, one kilometre long, was diverting 1,500 cubic metres of water to a group of farms located near Queen Alia International Airport, according to the official, who preferred to remain unnamed. 

The authorities discovered the second illegal connection some 700 metres away from the first, on the same water main, he said.

“The violator built a cabin to hide a two-metre deep hole, where he installed a valve on the water main to divert 2,000 cubic metres daily via a 500-metre pipe to several pools,” the official noted.

A joint team from the Water Authority of Jordan, the Jordan Water Company (Miyahuna), the Gendarmerie, the Royal Badia Forces and the Public Security Department carried out the inspections in south Amman on Wednesday morning, he said, adding that they seized several tankers which were being filled with water to sell to the public.

“We have issued tickets and the security forces referred those involved for investigation,” the official told The Jordan Times. 

The third violation was discovered in Um Al Amad, south of the capital, where 1,500 cubic metres of water was being diverted from another water main that supplies two districts with their share of water.

“The violator was using the diverted water to irrigate crops at several farms,” the official said, underscoring that such illegal pipes are one of the reasons behind the water shortage in Amman.

Last month, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said the government is committed to putting an end to all water violations, describing water theft as a form of corruption.

Since the ministry launched a crackdown on water violations in August last year, more than 7,000 illegal pipes have dismantled, 75.5 per cent of them in the capital.

The ministry registered 1,919 violations on water mains and 3,360 cases of gauge tampering in Amman alone between August and December last year.

The ministry said it is pressing ahead with its campaign to crack down on violators of the water network, calling on the public to cooperate with authorities and report violations.