Residents and commuters traveling the length of Egypt's Nile River have been treated in the last couple of days to the sight of murky brown water, as the country was hit earlier this week by severe floods, which muddied the river with sand.
A number of water purification plants in Giza, Assuit, Sohag and Qena governorates among others have halted operations until murkiness levels drop, state news agency MENA reported.
Water purity levels are measured regularly by authorities.
Once the water returns to normal purity levels, the plants can resume operations at full capacity.
Water plants officials have switched to reserve tanks in order to supply citizens with water; citizens in affected areas have been urged to fill up on water until the plants resume operations.
Torrential rain and flooding in Egypt on Thursday and Friday killed at least 26 people and injured 72 others in Upper Egypt and along the Red Sea Coast.
The town of Ras Gharib, around 150 km north of Red Sea’s Hurghada, was the worst affected by the floods.
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ordered EGP 50 million (around $5.6 million) to be allocated as compensation to the victims of the flooding nationwide, while a further EGP 50 million was allocated for the urgent restoration of infrastructure in areas affected by the floods.
