Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The National Water Company has acknowledged that water supply has been cut to a number of districts in Jeddah due to maintenance work. However, the company assured that regular supply would resume to all affected districts next week soon after the work was over.

The NWC made this statement following complaints by people living in the affected neighborhoods that they were not receiving drinking water for months. At the same time, residents had to pay huge water bills to the company. They urged the NWC to find a quick solution to the problem.

A Saudi woman living in Rowda district, who requested anonymity, said she was not receiving water from the network for the last six months. ‘I had to depend on private tankers for the supply. Then I was shocked to receive a huge water bill without availing of the service,” she told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

She asked the company to revise the water bill and take quick steps to ensure regular supply.

Khaled Hussain, owner of a three-story building in the middle of Jeddah, said the NWC had issued a huge bill in his name without providing water to the building. ‘I am sure there should be something wrong with the water meter,” he added.

Hussain informed the company about the problem but it did not take any action to solve it. He urged the authorities to step in and investigate the company›s excesses against customers and its negligence in ensuring regular water supply.

Salim Al-Qahtani threatened to sue the NWC for issuing excessive water bills while extending poor service. ‘We rarely receive water from the network and we depend on water tankers to quench our thirst,” Al-Qahtani.

Mohammed Al-Ghamdi said his house in Northern Obhur, near Jamal Square, did not get supply for more than a month. ‘The most surprising thing is that we have got huge bills from the company when it did not supply us with water. I will lodge a complaint against the company,” he added.

Khaled Maqbool, spokesman for the NWC, acknowledged that there were recurrent cuts in supply to some districts such as Rowda and Salama. ‘We hope to resume regular supply next week,” he said.

Abdullah Al-Sabbar, an executive director of NWC, said measures have been taken to resume water supply to the affected neighborhoods in Jeddah.

‘We are ready to receive complaints of citizens and residents regarding bills. We will tackle the issue immediately. Complaints help us to know our shortcomings,” he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.