MY KINGDOM FOR A DRINK: KUWAIT FACES WATER

UNCLAS KUWAIT 001846 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARP, OES E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV PGOV KU SUBJECT: MY KINGDOM FOR A DRINK: KUWAIT FACES WATER SHORTAGE ¶1. Kuwait enters the summer season facing a shortage of drinking water due to extravagantly wasteful use of fresh water by households, businesses, government offices, and agricultural entities. Because Kuwait receives less than 100mm per year of rainfall, it relies almost entirely on desalinated seawater for drinking, irrigation, and domestic purposes. Current water production stands at 311 million gallons per day (gpd) while consumption exceeds 322 million gpd. The deficit of 11 million gpd is drawn from water stored as an emergency reserve. ¶2. Kuwait's rapidly growing population (currently 2.4 million) and its hot desert climate, where temperatures in summer reach more than 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit),require the continuous development of existing water production facilities to meet increasing demand for drinking water, particularly during the summer. Although the GOK provides water free-of-charge to residents, certain areas of Kuwait are suffering from shortages, prompting residents to buy fresh water from privately owned water trucks that normally only serve rural areas that are off the water grid. Local newspapers have reported long lines of both citizens and expatriates waiting at water pumping stations where the price of water transported by truck has increased from KD 3 to KD 10 ($ 10.50 to $ 35.00) per 1000 gallons. ¶3. The Ministry of Energy, which is responsible for operating Kuwait's desalination plants, has recently warned against all unnecessary use of water in the country. It also indicated that desalination facilities are producing at maximum capacity, and are facing great pressure to maintain these levels. The Ministry added that it will pursue certain legal measures against violators of water usage guidelines, but has not specified what those measures might be. ¶4. Comment: Water subsidies encourage widespread wastage in Kuwait, both among households and businesses. Many Kuwaitis keep lawns and gardens which are inappropriate for the climate, and often water them during the afternoon when evaporation is highest. Significant amounts of water are also wasted washing vehicles, and standing water on residential streets is a common sight due to daily car washing. Kuwait's environmental community is passionate but small, and there is no coordinated government campaign to raise awareness of water issues, despite the pressing nature of the problem. The Ministry of Energy estimates that up to 7.2% of fresh water is lost through leakage from old pipes throughout the municipal distribution network. ******************************************** For more Embassy Kuwait reporting, see: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/index. cfm Or Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ******************************************** LEBARON