Water supply ‘stable’ Many consumers admit purchases ‘driven more by fear than by actual shortages’

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A surge in precautionary shopping was seen at supermarkets across Bahrain yesterday after reports that an Iran drone had struck a water desalination plant in the Kingdom.

Soon after the incident, residents rushed to nearby supermarkets and grocery stores to stock up on bottled drinking water.

Many supermarkets in the Kingdom reported a sudden surge in customers purchasing large quantities of water bottles yesterday, with many shoppers saying they wanted to secure supplies as a precaution.

The rush came despite assurances from the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) that the country’s water supply remains stable and that the desalination plant damage has not affected the operation of the national water network.

Many consumers admitted that the purchases were driven more by fear than by actual shortages.

“I’m buying water bottles just as a backup. One can’t manage without it,” said a resident speaking to The Daily Tribune while loading multiple packs of bottled water into a trolley. A local water supplier said demand for bottled water has surged sharply following the incident.

“We are receiving unusually large orders, with some customers requesting between 200 and 500 cans at a time,” the supplier said. While there is no shortage of water itself, the supply of water cans which comes from Saudi Arabia is under pressure, and the overwhelming demand is intensifying the strain.

Authorities urge people to stay calm, reassuring that water supply is secure. While Bahrain depends on desalination because freshwater is limited, officials said production and distribution are running normally.