by Hana Namrouqa | Jun 18, 2013 | 23:17
AMMAN — The Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) on Tuesday sealed three wells in west Amman’s Al Kursi neighbourhood whose owners were selling the water, which doesn’t meet local standards, according to an official.

The three wells are illegal and were drilled for pumping water and selling it to the public via tankers, Ministry of Water and Irrigation Spokesperson Omar Salameh said.

“The wells contain water that doesn’t meet our standards and needs treatment before being sold to households,” Salameh told The Jordan Times.

Noting that the wells were drilled a few years ago and belong to different people, he said WAJ warned the owners several times in the past.

“The violators were referred to court for drilling the wells, which is against the law, and for jeopardising public health by selling water that doesn’t meet local standards,” Salameh highlighted.

The ministry has repeatedly urged people who buy water from private wells to ask for a receipt indicating the source of the water and the price to make sure it is clean and safe.

In addition, water tankers must adhere to regulations that ensure safety standards, including the cleanliness of the tanker and pipes, according to the ministry.

Moreover, tankers must be green in colour, with the words “drinking water” visibly printed on them.

Salameh added that the ministry is undertaking a new campaign with the onset of summer to end violations on water networks and close down all illegal wells.

Under Article 30 of the WAJ Law, violators are fined up to JD5,000 and jailed for two years, while Article 456 of the Penal Code stipulates that violators of water networks face three- to six-month prison terms and fines ranging between JD100 and JD1,000.

by Hana Namrouqa | Jun 18, 2013 | 23:17
The ministry said tankers must be green in colour, with the words ‘drinking water’ printed on them (File photo)

AMMAN — The Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) on Tuesday sealed three wells in west Amman’s Al Kursi neighbourhood whose owners were selling the water, which doesn’t meet local standards, according to an official.

The three wells are illegal and were drilled for pumping water and selling it to the public via tankers, Ministry of Water and Irrigation Spokesperson Omar Salameh said.

“The wells contain water that doesn’t meet our standards and needs treatment before being sold to households,” Salameh told The Jordan Times.

Noting that the wells were drilled a few years ago and belong to different people, he said WAJ warned the owners several times in the past.

“The violators were referred to court for drilling the wells, which is against the law, and for jeopardising public health by selling water that doesn’t meet local standards,” Salameh highlighted.

The ministry has repeatedly urged people who buy water from private wells to ask for a receipt indicating the source of the water and the price to make sure it is clean and safe.

In addition, water tankers must adhere to regulations that ensure safety standards, including the cleanliness of the tanker and pipes, according to the ministry.

Moreover, tankers must be green in colour, with the words “drinking water” visibly printed on them.

Salameh added that the ministry is undertaking a new campaign with the onset of summer to end violations on water networks and close down all illegal wells.

Under Article 30 of the WAJ Law, violators are fined up to JD5,000 and jailed for two years, while Article 456 of the Penal Code stipulates that violators of water networks face three- to six-month prison terms and fines ranging between JD100 and JD1,000.