After one year of being forced to stay indoors (April ?2020 to May 2021) due to the crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic, many Egyptians from different parts of Egypt flocked to Alexandria, “the bride of the Mediterranean ‘arus al-bahr al-abiyad,” as they call it, seeking a fresh, cool breeze and access to the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Tensions have arisen between people’s personal experiences and official narratives concerning many different issues including critical access to water. Two issues related to the use of water are discussed here: one relates to the public access of the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea; the other concerns the supply of drinking water. In general, this issue relates to the fact that Egypt faces economic challenges attributable to mounting poverty, population growth, high inflation, increasing unemployment-particularly among young people, water shortage, decline in agriculture and food supply, and corruption.
Public beaches in Alexandria have been privatized as part of the government’s open-door policy, instigating discrimination and class problems. For example, the cheapest ticket mandated to get into a public beach area such as Miami or Sidi Bishr costs 25 Egyptians pounds per person. Such a price makes it difficult for a low-income family of six (with a resulting cost of 150 pounds) to go to and enjoy the beach. Rather, feeling excluded, they walk along the cement corniche, resting at various places along the coastal walkway, eating roasted corn or toasted seeds, and watching the more fortunate swim, socialize and play in the sands along the water’s edge.
Furthermore, there is an ever-growing problem pertaining to the increasingly high charges for the service of providing usable drinking and cleaning water to the citizens of the city. This problem can be exemplified by tensions expressed between a government official (GM) of a water company and an Alexandrian citizen (AC) as shown in a reconstructed dialogue between the two persons:
AC: (directing his speech to the GM) I am here to complain about the 4600 Egyptian pounds I paid to a meter reader (or collector from the water company). I had informed the collector that I had not used the water for 4 years as I had been out of country. My apartment was closed and nobody was there. I also told him that I had paid all water dues before traveling. But, he insisted that I should pay first, then, explain to the authorities that I had paid in advance. Here is the receipt of the payment. I would like you or the water company to reimburse me the 4600 pounds.
GM: (moving his right hand toward his mouth as if he were eating or swallowing something) There is no reimbursement as whatever enters the government’s tummy never comes back. You should have been careful. I mean, you should have refused receiving or paying the bill. You should have come here (to the water company) and complained before paying the dues as other people who had an experience like yours did.
AC: I do not understand. Do you have a specific procedure that I was not aware of?
GM: Yes. For example, a person, showing his passport as a proof for being out of Egypt for five years, complained that he was charged 6200 pounds for consuming the water that he did not use. He questioned the meter reader and did not pay the dues, but rather came to my office asking for an explanation. I told him that the passport could not be accepted as evidence as somebody else may have been living in the apartment and using the water. I advised him to bring a certificate from the Electric Company of his district showing that no electricity had been consumed in his apartment for the last 5 years. This person actually brought the certificate indicating no electricity was supplied to the apartment during this specific period of time. The water company was entitled not to waive the entire charge of 6200 pounds, as there were fees to be paid for the service, whether or not he used the water.
AC: Such a complicated bureaucratic procedure spoils our short visit to the city. My question is: On what basis does the water company charge people for water when they are away from their residences and not using the service?
GM: The charges are based on a reading of the water meters. But, in the case of a malfunction of the meter and/or absence of the customers, meter readers-collectors provide estimates of the charges.
AC: But the charges as shown in my case and the case of the person you just mentioned were very high despite both of us being outside of the country. I heard that the water company rewards meter readers based on the amount of money they collect. I mean more money they charge costumers more rewards they get.
GM: Yes, it is true.
AC: But this policy might contribute to the exaggeration of estimates made by meter readers in order to receive the rewards. How do you explain that?
GM: I cannot answer this question, as I did not designate this reward policy.
Frustrated at not being able to get his money back, the AC left the office. I was shocked by what I heard about the AC’s case as well as about this reward policy. Addressing this issue about one of the water companies in Alexandria, Wikipedia states that meter readers and collectors get rewards and “receive an incentive equal up to 30% of their salary for exceeding monthly targets.” Such a policy may benefit some employees, but hurts a lot of people. Other fair solutions or policies are needed.
el-Sayed el-Aswad