Kuwait: Water Use

Water Use Kuwait 

Once upon a time humans lived in the desert. They conserved water and the other scarce resources they had. When oil was struck, all this changed. 

1Litre Gasoline: 70fils/27centsCDN (May 2014)

As a result of the oil, energy became dirt cheap in the Gulf States. In 1951 the first desalination plant was built in Kuwait. Since then, other desalinization plants have been going online. 

‘Murica’ is fading and with it the traditional American dream. Affording a big house and two cars is no longer viable for many Americans. Californians are facing widespread drought and it is not uncommon for some suburban residents to spend $500/month on their water bill. Don’t worry ‘Murica’ – Kuwait is keeping your dream of living big alive. One way of doing this is using as much energy/water as possible. 

Why do people use so much water in Kuwait? 

“While 1,000 imperial gallons (4,545 m3) of water costs the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) (US$ 11.00) to produce, the customer is charged (US$ 2.72) for it. Furthermore, water metering and billing are only loosely applied to nationals. Some Kuwaitis have not been paying their water bills for over fifteen years and no action has been taken by the ministry yet. Moreover, to make matters worse, recently the ministry has accredited (US$ 6,800.00) to every Kuwaiti household on their water bill.” (1)

Drinking Desalinized Water:

During my first 6 months in Kuwait, I drank tap water. My kidneys hurt and my urine stank like a street blanket. Since then, I have switched to bottled water. Most people in Kuwait cough up the money and drink bottled water that has been imported into the country. Sometimes I wish my body ran on gasoline, as it would be cheaper.

Bottled Water Cost: 43cents/L (In Bulk using 1.5L jugs)

Gasoline: 27cents/L  (May 2014)