Residents in many parts of the capital were relieved after Saudi authorities restored water supply to several districts here. They expressed appreciation for Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz, Acting Emir of Riyadh region, for his intervention, which they said helped in the restoration. Water supply in Riyadh was disrupted for more than a week following cracks in the distribution pipeline that carried desalinated water from the East Coast. Abdullah Al-Shehri, a Saudi resident, thanked Prince Sattam for showing care for the citizens and residents of the city. “I really appreciate the attention given by the Prince, after which I am sure the officials expedited the process of fixing the cracked pipeline,” said Shehri. When affected by shortage of water, Al-Shehri had to buy water from the black market. “I had no other choice except to buy water at exorbitantly high prices,” he said. Ali Al-Shammary, a father of six children, said he felt indebted to Prince Sattam when he knew the prince took utmost interest in the care of citizens, particularly in the restoration of the water supply, a basic necessity of life. He recalled that when he could not get a water tanker, he turned to buy mineral water. “Although it was very expensive, I bought the required amount of water to fill containers in the toilet and in the kitchen,” he said. It is now a relief to see water flowing from taps with full pressure, thanks to Prince Sattam, said Shammary. Prince Sattam directed the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) and the National Water Company (NWC) to work nonstop to fix cracks in the water pipeline. He also directed the NWC to provide water tankers to the districts affected by shortage of water. The disrupted water supply affected people most because of the ongoing summer with temperatures reaching 40° Celsius and because it came at the time when schools were reopening after vacation. The residents had a difficult time securing water tankers for their houses last week. Unscrupulous vendors took advantage of the crisis and raised the price of water tankers from SR72 to SR300. __
