The volume of raw sewage being pumped into the Gulf is down by 50 percent, thanks to the efforts of the relevant bodies , said Captain Ali Haidar, the Deputy Director General of the Environment Public Authority (EPA), yesterday.

Haidar said that the Ministry of Public Works (MPW), in cooperation with the Cabinet committee for the rehabilitation of waste dumping sites, had rehabilitated these sites and that the level of sewage being pumped into the sea Gulf had fallen by 50 percent to 180,000 cubic meters per day.

He explained that this reduction was linked to the method of water treatment employed by the MPW, as well as tests conducted by the EPA and Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), further noting that the levels of pollution were below the maximum limit.

On the method of treatment used, Haidar said that a station had been constructed to empty the reservoirs that were used to deal with the sewage water problem in Mishref, such that 8,000-13,000 cubic meters of water per day had been extracted - that is, between eight and 13 percent of the overall water - which was then redirected to water treatment plants in Rigga and Ardhiya.

Fortunately, he said, Kuwait's offshore waters are shallow and the sun's heat has helped to provide a natural treatment for the water, while tidal currents have also contributed to resolving the matter.

He further noted that the level of pollutants recorded in the offshore waters was down, saying that KISR was monitoring this and could even project the possible spread, concentration and type of pollutants in the water. Results have indicated that pollutants are concentrated close to coastal areas of the country, from Ras Al-Salmiya to Miseela and close to Fintas, he said, adding that pollutants were also concentrated near the exit points of sewage pipes.

Haidar added that four teams were formed to take water samples and test them, emphasizing that citizens have nothing to fear because the committee tasked with following up this matter is dealing with it with the utmost transparency and seriousness.

On the subject of the Mishref sewage treatment station, he said that efforts are continuing to try to reach the broken pumps in order to replace them with new ones as soon as possible. He asserted that Kuwait's water supply is clean and safe to drink and is regularly tested around the clock as an added precaution, adding that that the fish caught in Kuwaiti waters have also been determined to be clear of any infection.

Kuwaittimes