Two drinking water distribution stations, out of seven in the area, have been shut down after tests found high levels of radiation in the water, said Mansour Al-Arfaj, Assistant Director General for Water in Qassim region. Al-Arfaj said tests were conducted twice and the results showed that two of the seven stations were contaminated. Water from these two stations can only be used for washing purposes. Water from the remaining five stations is fit for human consumption, he said. The Ministry of Water and Electricity, Al-Arfaj said, has a mechanism to monitor water resources all over the Kingdom, in addition to the daily quality inspection tours of all desalination plants and water treatment stations. Muhammad Al-Hamoud, a citizen, said: “We have been drinking this water for many years and we were sure it was fit for human consumption. We never thought that some distribution stations were contaminated with radiation.” Nasser Al-Mihrij, another citizen, urged the Ministry of Water and Electricity to introduce an integrated technical system to ensure the quality of the region's drinking water. This should include having local laboratories to carry out periodic tests, instead of the current time-consuming system of sending samples to Riyadh. He said such laboratories are important because water is directly linked to people's health. Sa'eed Al-Faleh, a citizen, said that there was an urgent need for a committee to look into the problem which directly affects the lives of people. He said the municipalities are responsible for hygiene and environmental monitoring while the Ministry of Agriculture monitors farms and the quality of water used for irrigation. __
