Owners of illegal wells in west Amman out on bail

AMMAN — Owners of illegal wells in west Amman’s Wadi Al Seer Municipality, who were pumping water from sealed wells, were released on Sunday, a government official said Monday.

Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) and security forces arrested the owners after they were caught pumping water from illegal wells that WAJ sealed in March, according to a source at the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

“The owners were... referred to the district governor, who ordered that they be kept in custody for several days,” the source told The Jordan Times.

The offenders signed pledges that they would not repeat the violation and were released after paying a hefty bail, the source said.

The wells were drilled for pumping water and selling it to the public via tankers. They were connected through several 380-volt cables to power pumps and the perpetrators were diverting water from the wells to reservoirs before selling it to tankers, according to the ministry.

“The violators will remain under observation,” the source added.

The wells were sealed under an ongoing campaign, launched in August 2013, to end violations on water networks and close down all illegal wells.

“Drilling wells in Wadi Al Seer or any other part of the country is not allowed and the ministry will no longer tolerate it," the official underscored. 

"The public is required to cooperate to protect underground water from depletion and safeguard public health, as tankers sell water from undesignated sources, which could be polluted,” he added.

The Council of Ministers has endorsed several decisions and regulations to curb infringements on water resources and maximise penalties against offenders.

These include depriving owners of illegal wells of agricultural or any other governmental loans, and supplying electricity for wells only after clearance is obtained from WAJ, proving they are licensed.

The new regulations also prohibit the import of water pumps for wells unless the Ministry of Water and Irrigation grants permission and also tracks their destination.

In addition, the regulations stipulate that work permits of guest workers employed on farms with illegal wells will be revoked, among other new penalties.