Illegal pipe discovered on water main in south Amman

AMMAN — Authorities on Saturday discovered a violation on a water main in Qastal, which was diverting 1,500 cubic metres of water per day, according to a government official.

An illegal pipe was installed on an 800-millimetre main that conveys water from the Qastal Pumping Station in south Amman to the capital's Um Rummaneh and Zaytouneh neighbourhoods, the official told The Jordan Times over the phone.

“A joint team followed the route of the illegal pipe until they discovered that it was diverting water to several farms and greenhouses for the irrigation of crops. Several foreign workers were found at the farms, one of whom was detained for questioning to find out who is behind this violation,” the official said.

The case has been referred for investigation and strict legal action will be taken against the violators, he added.

“All those involved will be held accountable, including the owner of the land where the violation took place and those who extended or helped extend the pipeline,” added the government source, who spoke on a condition of anonymity.

The 2014 Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) Law, which into effect earlier this month, lays down stricter penalties against violators of water networks, as well as those who dig illegal wells and pollute water resources.

Under the new amendments, 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, and dig 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 Nasser, who noted that water conveyance schemes and pipes are classified as “strategic, vital projects” in Article 31 of the legislation.

The government official said that the Ministry of Water and Irrigation is carrying on with the serious crackdown on all forms of violations on the water resources and systems.

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.