Jeddah: High level of underground water mixed with sewage is threatening neighborhoods in east Jeddah, according to Engineer Ali Qhatani, Deputy Mayor for Service Affairs at the Jeddah Mayoralty. He said the rise in the water level will lead to the formation of new stagnant pools which would serve as fertile breeding grounds for mosquitoes and insects. The rise in the water table stems from the overflow from sanitary drainage projects. To handle this problem before it worsens, the mayoralty has called for an urgent meeting with the responsible government agencies. The participants will also raise these issues with the National Water Company, which has also proposed ways to deal with the situation. Engineer Abdullah Al-Assaf, Director of the National Water Company, blamed residents of these districts for creating this problem. He accused them of illegally connecting their houses to the sanitation system. This has led to the overflow of sewage water. Al-Assaf said the NWC has already assigned a company to pump the underground water from the districts, but described the process as a temporary solution. Apart from this, the NWC has struck a deal with a contracting company to construct a pipe network to reduce the level of the underground water in the districts until it disappears completely. The mayoralty's warning and the actions of the NWC comes in the wake of complaints from residents of eastern Jeddah and Al-Haramain about foul-smelling pools of water caused by the situation.
