Abu Dhabi: The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) found 55 violations related to the extraction, transportation and sale of groundwater without a permit over the past 18 months. This is part of its efforts to conserve groundwater through integrated water resources management, an EAD statement said on Tuesday.

EAD’s efforts resulted in 35 prosecutions between 2013 and 2014, with fines ranging between Dh3,000 and Dh50,000. In one instance, the offender was fined Dh10,000 and his truck was impounded for transporting the groundwater. Most of these violations took place in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi emirate.

“Besides being illegal, the sale of groundwater has negative environmental and social impacts on the emirate of Abu Dhabi, and we are pleased to see a significant decrease in the number of violations since the enforcement has been put in place and the prosecutions began,” Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary-General of EAD, said.

“This irresponsible practice depletes non-renewable reserves and can lead to an increase in salinity of the remaining groundwater, which damages our agriculture and surrounding communities. Our inspectors have also cited some cases where this groundwater was sold to labour accommodations, which could pose a serious health issue to them, since the present groundwater quality is not in compliance with Abu Dhabi standards for drinking water,” Razan said.

Furthermore, to control the use of groundwater when it comes to drilling without a permit, EAD has a clear and accessible system in place for drilling contractors and landowners to apply for a drilling permit. Once the permit is issued, inspectors visit each well-drilling site to ensure compliance.

In addition to identifying offenders, EAD works with the relevant government partners to protect vital groundwater supplies.

Earlier this year, the Permanent Committee for Setting and Implementing Water and Agricultural Strategies in the emirate of Abu Dhabi rolled out the Water Resources Management Strategy for the emirate to outline how water resources should be managed. EAD has implemented key areas of this strategy, including an outreach campaign, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Services Centre (ADFSC), to raise awareness on groundwater in the farming community. The campaign provides practical guidance and training for farm workers to use water efficiently and aims to ensure the laws related to groundwater are known and understood.

“The scarcity of groundwater will impact the agricultural sector and the broader society. Conserving groundwater is not the responsibility of government alone; it is shared by the farming community and agricultural industries. It is everyone’s responsibility to understand the regulations and adhere to the rules,” Razan said

Violations should be reported to the Abu Dhabi Government Contact Centre at 800-555.