Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH — The Ministry of Environment Water and Agriculture (MEWA) has approved the requirements for licensing, classification of violations and corresponding sanctions for the non-potable water supply and tanks.
Minister of Environment Water and Agriculture Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli recently issued these requirements, which will be implemented on July 2022.
The approval granted non-potable well water systems and tanks a period of one year to recover and find ways to make the water potable.
The requirements establish three phases of licensing procedures and requirements. The first stage describes how the application is made, the second includes the steps of approval of the water source and the third explains the authorizations of the bearer.
The ministry stressed that water should not be sold without its final permit. The ministry, however, noted that it is possible to authorize the drilling of wells for that purpose in the Arab Shield and aquifer areas.
It also focused on the fact that selling water from these areas would not affect the nearby wells since the appropriate distance between the areas was set by a hydrological study approved by the ministry.
In addition, the filling of non-potable water tanks is now prohibited. The ministry noted that it would not be responsible for any expenses or damages of any kind arising from the failure to grant the initial or final permit.
The ministry affirmed that, in events of emergency, Civil Defense centers were entitled to use water sources in accordance with the controls issued by the ministry.
Staff members will also have to adhere to new orders such as: Maintain access records containing tank license numbers, number plates, dates/times of entry, tank capacities and driver data at all times.
The requirements for licensing set the specifications for licensing tanks/facilities, characteristics of water, licenses for water transport, license and tank renewal documents. The ministry also set out the classification of violations of tanks and the corresponding penalties.
