Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - There is no scientific evidence that backs the claims that the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) can be found in surface or groundwater or transmitted through drinking water, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation said on Sunday.

In a statement, the ministry said coordination with the World Health Organization and international research bodies is ongoing over any developments in this regard, stressing that it runs robust control over water quality and resources.

The ministry indicated that all the tests and studies it conducts confirm the safety of using groundwater for drinking and various household applications.

The ministry's Assistant Secretary-General for Laboratory and Quality Affairs, Ahmad Olimat, said that studies conducted by the World Health Organization, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Groundwater Association (a U.S. organization) and other stakeholders across the globe, indicate that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is not found in drinking water, whether it is coming from ground, surface or municipal sources.

Furthermore, Olimat noted that water treatment systems used in the Kingdom guarantee the neutralization and removal of all viruses, if any, microorganisms or any other pathogens that might be found in water.

Research and technical studies carried out across the world found no evidence on a waterborne transmission of the coronavirus, however, they do not rule out the possibility of finding the virus in untreated wastewater.

Nevertheless, experts say the risk of contracting the COVID-19 from untreated wastewater is minimal and they base their assumption on previous related studies on the transmission modes of other viruses, including the SARS and MERS.