Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture revealed Sunday the approval of the Cabinet on the sanctions list for violations of factories and water shops in its road towards preserving water resources and ensure their sustainability for future generations.
In this regards, Deputy Minister for Water Affairs in the Ministry Dr. Faisal bin Sultan al-Subaie explained that the approval on the sanctions list came as an encouragement to the ministry's role in conserving, organizing, protecting and ensuring its sustainability for future generations in accordance with Vision 2030.
“The Ministry will be responsible for the technical licensing of non-bottled water plants, the sale and distribution of water through tanks, cisterns, and desalination plants, supervision and control,” Subaie said, adding that it will also be responsible for the technical licensing of the use of water sources and the monitor of all water plants and shops to ensure that they follow the requirements to use water sources.
He said that violations include carrying out any of the activities above without a license, violating any of the requirements approved by the Ministry, providing any misleading or incorrect information to the Ministry, not providing information regarding the activity requested by the ministry or not reporting any accident or incident that would affect the product or the public health.
Subaie confirmed that the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture will punish anyone who commits an offense with a fine of not more than five million riyals ($1.33 million), with suspending the license for a period not exceeding six months or canceling it permanently.
“In case the violation was repeated, the penalty shall be doubled whether it is a fine or suspension of the license.”
He pointed out that there is a "one year" period notice to correct the situation of the violating factories in accordance with the provisions of the list of regulations and requirements of the licenses of water factories issued by the Ministry.
“The draft list comes to consolidate the importance of water as an essential element of life, protect its sources from depletion and pollution and raise the level of effectiveness and efficiency of the management of sources within the concept of integrated water management,” Subaie stressed.
