The town of Umm Walad in eastern rural Daraa has been suffering from a shortage of drinking water since the beginning of the current winter season, due to the ineffectiveness of wells powered by solar energy, which are the main supply source for the town.

The malfunction of the pump in the irrigation project in the town of al-Musayfirah, which provides part of the drinking water for Umm Walad, has exacerbated the crisis.

Currently, most residents depend on purchasing water from mobile tankers, which imposes a financial burden on them.

Weather factors hinder well operations

In February 2023, community leaders from Umm Walad launched a fundraising campaign that raised three billion Syrian pounds, allowing them to drill two wells, equip them with solar energy systems, and install a power system for the main wells in the town of al-Musayfirah.

Moeen al-Rifai, a member of the local council and head of the committee overseeing the well-drilling project, told Enab Baladi that the wells supply the town with approximately 50 cubic meters of water per hour.

He added that while these wells contribute to alleviating the drinking water shortage in the town, the abundance of clouds in winter hampers the solar energy system’s operation, affecting pumping and causing a water shortage crisis.

He mentioned that the leaders have approached the Electricity Directorate to provide the wells with a permanently operating power line, but the directorate has not yet responded to their request.

Abdul Moneim al-Rifai, head of the Umm Walad water unit, told Enab Baladi that the primary reason for the water shortage is the weakness from the source due to malfunctions on the main line, which is nine kilometers long and has eight faults that have reduced incoming quantities. The main reservoir in the town receives 25 cubic meters per hour out of a needed 55 cubic meters.

Al-Rifai added that there are solutions that could secure approximately 90% of the town’s drinking water, which involve repairing the main line and supplying the solar-powered wells with a continuously operating power line.

Installation of a water pump on one of the wells in the town of Umm Walad, rural Daraa – November 13, 2023 (Umm Walad/Facebook)

Pump malfunction

One of the reasons that exacerbated the water crisis in Umm Walad is the malfunction of the main pump in al-Musayfirah, which needs maintenance.

The town’s chief, Hilal al-Rifai, told Enab Baladi that the town leaders met with several officials from the Water and Sanitation Directorate in Daraa city, who promised to repair the pump.

The town of Umm Walad is situated at the administrative border between Daraa and As-Suwayda governorates, with a population of 13,000.

Installation of a water pump on one of the wells in the town of Umm Walad, rural Daraa – November 13, 2023 (Umm Walad/Facebook)

High costs

One tanker of water is insufficient for Hilal al-Rifai’s needs; he requires another tanker with a capacity of 25 barrels each week, priced at 100,000 Syrian pounds (10.3 USD).

Hilal is responsible for a family of 17, including his father and brother, and relies on remittances from his expatriate brother to afford the cost of water.

Meanwhile, Tamim al-Rifai, a resident of the town, needs one tanker per week and works daily in construction, earning 75,000 Syrian pounds (7.7 USD).

Tamim told Enab Baladi that securing the cost of water has become an essential necessity that cannot be ignored, noting that he has been paying for a water tank every week for the past three months.

Daraa governorate is experiencing a shortage of drinking water, especially after most springs in rural Daraa, such as Lake Muzayrib, Lake Zeyzoun, and the al-Sakhina springs and Ayn al-Abd springs, dried up, and the water level in the al-Ashari springs and the al-Thawra Project in eastern Daraa significantly declined, which are primary sources for securing drinking water.

The random drilling of wells is the main cause of drought in Daraa, with the number of illegal wells reaching 20,000 in 2024, compared to 8,000 wells before 2010, according to Engineer Ali al-Buqirat, a water resources expert and former head responsible for pumping stations in the Yarmouk Basin, in a report published by Enab Baladi/Syria Indicator in November 2024.