‘Authorities remove illegal water pipe in south Amman’

AMMAN —  Authorities on Wednesday discovered a violation on a water main in Jiza that supplies one of the capital’s largest reservoirs, according to a government official.

A 75-millimetre pipe was installed on a 600-millimetre main that conveys water from the Qastal pumping station in south Amman to the Abu Alanda reservoir in east Amman, the official said.

“The technical teams faced difficulties in detecting and removing the illegal pipe because it was covered with reinforced concrete. They dug for several hours before they were able to reach the pipe,” he told The Jordan Times.

The water was being diverted to a nearby farm and used for the irrigation of crops, the official said.

“The case has been referred for investigation and legal action will be taken against the violator,” added the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, authorities have started a campaign to unveil all water violations on water networks and resources in Jiza.

“A report of all the detected violations will be submitted to the water minister by next week and the infringements will be addressed,” the official added.

The government announced recently that it was committed to putting an end to all water violations, describing water theft as a form of corruption. To this end, the government has drafted new amendments to the Water Authority of Jordan Law.

The law is currently in Parliament awaiting discussion and endorsement.

Since the ministry launched a crackdown on water violations in August last year, and up until December, more than 7,091 illegal water pipes were dismantled, of which 75.5 per cent were in the capital, according to the ministry’s figures.

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