Minister Ghoneim: There will be no tolerance for tampering with the water issue

Ramallah-Ma'an- The head of the Water Authority, Eng. Mazen Ghoneim, confirmed today that the Water Authority will follow up on its plan aimed at regulating the work of approved water tankers to ensure their commitment to safety conditions, preserve the lives of citizens, and prevent their exploitation, as happened today in some communities due to the water crisis witnessed by some areas, in order to ensure that they receive water at the right quality and price. This came during his chairing of a meeting of the assigned follow-up committee consisting of representatives of partner institutions represented by the Consumer Protection Institution in the Ministry of Economy, the Customs Police, and the Police Department. The meeting discussed in detail the main objectives of the campaign, which focus mainly on reducing the crisis of drinking water shortages in the summer in the most needy areas and communities and the highlands that do not receive water due to high temperatures on the one hand and the cuts made b y the occupation on the other hand, and the responsibility of the citizen to ensure the safety and compliance of the tanks used in the process of transporting potable water with health conditions. The Water Authority explained that in the past years it has prepared a comprehensive plan that includes clear conditions for the validity of these tankers and their safety by defining the scope of work of the tankers and ensuring that water is filled from safe filling points and emptied in the approved distribution areas listed under the transportation permit granted to the tanker owner. In the same context, it stressed the need to ensure that the maximum price of a cup of water transported by tankers, for which the indicative prices were set by the Water Authority, is not exceeded. The Water Authority stressed that, in cooperation with the competent authorities, it will begin a campaign to follow up and pursue violators among the owners of water tanks in all the governorates of the West Bank, which are concerned with supplying water from its various sources, with a greater focus on the communities that rely heavily on water tanks due to the water shortage, such as in the governorates of Bethlehem, Hebron and Ramallah. In this regard, it is necessary for the owners of the tanks to go to the competent authority and obtain all the necessary papers, including the transfer permit and the inspection and examination certificate, as well as the citizen's confirmation that all the necessary papers are with the tanker and are authorized and related to the filling place and the party designated for it. Source: Maan News Agency