RIYADH — The Zamzam water containers at fixed stations are now available for the faithful at the Prophet's Mosque after a hiatus of over one and a half years. The Agency for the Affairs of the Prophet's Mosque under the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has restored the Zamzam water containers in their old positions at the mosque to serve worshipers and visitors, and that is in total compliance with the precautionary measures against coronavirus. The Presidency stopped serving Zamzam water from containers following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic early 2020. It hired workers to distribute the holy water in sealed, sterilized and single-use bottles in the mataf (circumambulating area around the Holy Kaaba), mas'a (running area between Safa and Marwah), as well as at various locations inside the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah. Meanwhile, the Presidency, represented by the Zamzam Watering Department, analyzes random samples of Zamzam water, to ensure it is safe and free from contamination. Abdul Rahman Al-Zahrani, director of the department, said that the Zamzam laboratory represents an important element in maintaining the quality and safety of Zamzam water. He said it is a special department equipped with the latest technological devices and instruments as well as a specialized technical staff that take random samples on a daily basis from cylinder-like containers and smart carts. The department is conducting the necessary tests, and washing and sterilizing tanks, containers and taps, in order to achieve the highest quality standards. He pointed out that the number of samples collected for the year 1442 AH reached more than 7,380 samples, which were taken from filling points, drinking spots, external tanks, cylinder containers, carts and bottles of the blessed water. Zamzam water samples are taken from Zamzam well, Zamzam cooling stations, water tanks, filling points, in addition to portable Zamzam water bags inside the Grand Mosque and in its squares. Highly advanced sterilization methods and devices are being used to filter Zamzam. To ensure the quality of the holy water, it passes through state-of-the-art sterilization systems that use ultraviolet rays to kill bacteria and viruses and ensure high levels of sterilization. A series of measures are applied from the time of pumping from the Zamzam well and moved to the sealed tanks it is stored in until it goes through the sterilization process and is transferred to the Grand Mosque. A team of specialists supervises all phases of the process. Al-Zahrani said the laboratory has microbiological devices for incubating bacteria and their growth in the fastest time, to detect bacteria and microbes, and a safety booth device to work on cultivating bacteria in an environment isolated from any external pollution, to ensure the level of analyzes. It is a microscope device to know the types of bacteria and their sources, and that the duration of the examination ranges from 24 to 72 hours for a microbiology, and two to four hours for a chemical examination. Al-Zahrani stressed that such tests are to ensure the safety of the Zamzam water network and to make it free from microbes and pollutants.
