As you were informed earlier today, the intake pipe to our water desalination plant suffered a break around 3:00 a.m. this morning. Repair work has been underway since then. Due to the location of the break, these repairs are difficult and must be done under water. Significant progress has been made, however we do not expect restoration of normal water supply until later today or tomorrow morning.
In parallel to the repair work, we commissioned trucks to deliver water to supplement our water supply. Nevertheless, water supply will be limited and we request that you minimize your use of water. In addition, delivery of bottled water began this afternoon and will be ongoing to each neighborhood and house.
Research labs should curtail non-essential activities requiring water.
The KAUST School and day care will be closed tomorrow. Parents will receive direct updates from the schools. The Partners for Learning event will be held as scheduled tomorrow evening.
Interruption of a water supply is a major inconvenience in any community. I can assure you that all efforts are being made to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. We will continue to update you on further developments.
Your patience and understanding are appreciated.
President Jean-Lou Chameau
For any emergencies please call 911 from a KAUST landline or 012 808 0911 from a mobile phone
For non-emergency questions related to the water supply, call HR Out of Hours at 054 470 0277