Hussein Hazzazi Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Pipe leaks continue to plague Jeddah, which is eagerly anticipating the launch of a new desalination plant that officials say will alleviate the city's water shortage problems. After the National Water Company (NWC) repaired the second pipe that began leaking in front of Al-Falak Square at the intersection of King Fahd (Al-Sitteen) Road and Sari Street next to the women's branch of King Abdulaziz University (Al-Faisaliah College), another major pipe began leaking in the unplanned Al-Nuzha district. Residents said the leak, which has left many homes in the district without water, has now entered its third day. “We have filed four complaints and tried to get the municipality's attention. A team was sent to the location but they said the matter does not fall under their responsibility. We tried to contact the police as the street was inundated but they told us to contact the NWC, which also said the leak is not its responsibility,” said a citizen on condition of anonymity. According to the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), the leakage was caused because the city's water distribution network is unable to handle heavy water flows. The SWCC has stopped pumping water into the pipe at the request of the NWC. Efforts are under way to repair the damaged pipe. For several weeks, residents of Jeddah suffered a severe water shortage, which ended after the intervention of Makkah Emir Prince Khaled Al-Faisal who ordered the authorities to pump sufficient quantities of water into the city. But residents of Al-Nuzha say even though the problem has ended in all other districts of the city, their suffering still continues. “The water pipe continued to leak for the past three days without the NWC doing anything to stop the leakage,” said Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi, a resident of the area.
