KUWAIT'S WATER SHORTAGE CONTINUES AMID RUMORS OF

UNCLAS KUWAIT 002267 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARP, OES E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV EPET PGOV KU SUBJECT: KUWAIT'S WATER SHORTAGE CONTINUES AMID RUMORS OF SUPPLIES GOING TO IRAQ, U.S. FORCES REF: A. KUWAIT 2151 ¶B. KUWAIT 1846 This cable is sensitive but unclassified; please protect accordingly. Not for Internet distribution. ¶1. (SBU) Kuwait's water shortage continues as disruptions of water supplies and low pressure problems have been reported throughout the country, affecting some areas more severely than others. Shortages in some districts have led residents to increasingly rely on fresh water from tanker trucks (Ref B),with prices in this secondary market continuing to rise. These price increases, exacerbated by additional water demand for use in election-related events (Ref A),have reached as high as 15 Kuwaiti dinars ($52 dollars) per 1000 gallons. With daily temperatures in Kuwait averaging 115 degrees, newspapers regularly feature stories asking "Where is the Water?" Rumors that the GOK is supplying southern Iraq with large quantities of fresh water prompted a denial from Saud Al-Zaid, Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Energy (MOE),who said Kuwait provides no water to Iraq. There are also rumors that the water shortage is due to high demand from U.S. military facilities in Kuwait, although these rumors have drawn no response from the MOE. ¶2. (SBU) Official MOE statements blame the shortage on leakage from the aging, rusted pipe network. (Note: In Ref B, Post reported MOE's figure of 7.2% loss from leakage. However, subsequent conversations with working-level officials at the Environment Public Authority indicate that the 7.2% figure is probably low, and the real figure is likely closer to 30%. End Note.) On June 11, a article in the Arabic-language daily Al-Qabas quoted an unnamed MOE official who said the root cause is that MOE is diverting water for use in oil sector mega-projects at the expense of the public water system. He advocated separating the Water and Electricity Sector from the MOE. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: As reported in Ref B, Post views Kuwait's water problems as stemming primarily from wasteful usage and heavy subsidies that provide no incentive to conserve, and does not see any indications that water is being diverted to oil projects as the MOE official claimed. At this point the shortage is not at a crisis stage, but no doubt will become more acute as the summer wears on. While the annual exodus to escape the summer heat typically reduces water demand during the summer months, the recent dissolution of parliament and new elections scheduled for June 29 mean that most Kuwaitis have stayed home to participate, and water demand is greater than normal. End Comment. ******************************************** 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/ ******************************************** TUELLER