The Saudi Water Authority has launched a large-scale field campaign to tighten control over water tanker activities across the Kingdom, as part of its ongoing efforts to regulate the sector and ensure operators comply with applicable regulations. These intensive measures come in direct response to reports received from citizens through official channels, reflecting the effective partnership between the community and regulatory bodies to guarantee the safety of the water supply and protect public health.
Campaign details and observed violations
The Authority's inspection teams are focusing their efforts on monitoring water tankers operating without the necessary licenses, as well as those that do not adhere to the approved visual identity. The campaign pays particular attention to impounding vehicles showing signs of neglect and poor hygiene, such as accumulated dirt and dust, as these indicators suggest non-compliance with health requirements, which could negatively impact the quality and safety of the transported water.
The campaign was not limited to tankers only, but the authority expanded the scope of control to include “water filling stations” (water filling stations) that provide services to violating vehicles, in a proactive step aimed at cutting off violators at the source, and holding all parties in the supply chain legally responsible for any violations.
Organizational context and strategic transformation
This campaign comes within the context of the major transformation underway in the water sector in Saudi Arabia, where the Saudi Water Authority (formerly the water regulator) is working to regulate off-grid water services (those relying on tankers) to improve their efficiency and reliability. This move aligns with the objectives of the National Water Strategy , which aims to ensure the sustainability of water resources and guarantee their delivery to beneficiaries according to the highest standards of quality and safety.
The Authority operates within a precise regulatory framework aimed at governing the sector, where compliance with licenses and visual identity is an integral part of efforts to regulate the market and prevent the arbitrary practices that prevailed in previous periods, thus ensuring a fair competitive environment for legitimate operators.
Health and urban dimensions of the campaign
The importance of this campaign is not limited to the administrative or organizational aspect alone, but extends to include extremely important health, environmental and urban dimensions:
- Protecting public health: Ensuring the cleanliness of water carriers greatly reduces the risk of water contamination and disease transmission, which is at the heart of water and health security priorities.
- Improving the urban landscape: Removing dilapidated and unsightly vehicles contributes to enhancing the aesthetics of cities and residential neighborhoods, which is in line with the objectives of the Quality of Life Program , one of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 programs.
- Road safety: Controlling violating vehicles contributes to raising the level of safety on the roads, as unlicensed vehicles often lack the necessary safety equipment.
Firmness in implementing regulations
The Saudi Water Authority confirmed that all reports are subject to thorough review and immediate field investigation, emphasizing that it will not tolerate any violations of regulations and laws. The Authority urges all beneficiaries to continue reporting any issues related to water services, considering them the first line of defense and essential partners in the success of oversight efforts.
