Wednesday, Jun 03, 2015

Muscat: New wells will be soon drilled in Muscat to help with a water shortage, the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW) announced.

Reasons for the shortage include low water pressure and increased rates of consumption due to the summer heat.

PAEW has started experimental operations at the Ghubrah plant and the water desalination plant is expected to be up and running the next two months.

PAEW blamed the Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) for the delay thus far.

When completed, the desalination plant in Ghubrah will be able to produce an estimated 42 million gallons of water per day.

To cope with the shortage thus far, water tankers have been distributed daily in some areas of Muscat.

An interruption last May in the Sohar desalination plant caused shortages in three governorates and affected 250,000 people.

The longest water disruption in Oman was in 2007 when Cyclone Gonu hit which lasted over two weeks.

By Fahad Al Mukrashi Correspondent

Gulf News 2015. All rights reserved.