Water crisis over in 2 weeks: Energy Undersecretary; Rationing key

KUWAIT (KUNA): The water-shortage crisis will be overcome completely within the next two weeks, but there is a need for water rationing even after the crisis blows over, said Energy Ministry’s Undersecre-tary for Water and Electricity Saud Al-Zaid. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, he said the problem had first been highlighted in March, 2004, at a special parliamentary session that discussed the increasing levels of water consumption.

Assistant undersecretary for planning, training, and monitoring centers Yousif Al-Hajri, said water production in May alone required seven million barrels of crude oil and ten billion cubic feet of gas. He noted that the total costs of oil and gas in that month reached KD 107 million, adding that “the cost, for instance, of yesterday’s production of water was KD 3.78 million.” He said that government subsidy of water and electricity was KD 726 million annually, saying that in 1997, Kuwait consumed 24 million barrels of oil to produce electricity and water, and that this increased to 95 million barrels in 2003.
Arab Times Online