23 Red Sea Water Company Staff Can Now Record Water Offences, From Hurghada to Shalatin
Justice Minister Mahmoud Helmy El-Sherif's Decision No. 4040 of 2026 gives 23 employees of the Red Sea drinking water and sanitation company the powers of judicial seizure officers for offences under the 1978 drinking-water law. The staff work in Hurghada, Safaga, El Quseir, Marsa Alam, Shalatin and Ras Ghareb, and the status runs until 31 July 2028.
19 October 2026
Twenty-three employees of the Red Sea Governorate's drinking water and sanitation company have been given the powers of judicial seizure officers, which allows them to formally record offences against Egypt's drinking-water law in the areas where they work. The step comes in Decision No. 4040 of 2026, issued by Justice Minister Counsellor Mahmoud Helmy El-Sherif and reported by Tawasl News on 14 October.
The status is narrow. It applies to offences that breach Law No. 27 of 1978, which regulates the public water resources needed for drinking and human use, and each employee holds it only within their own geographic area of competence.
Where it applies
The decision covers company staff in Hurghada, Safaga, El Quseir, Marsa Alam, Shalatin and Ras Ghareb. Tawasl News lists them as:
- 16 employees in Hurghada
- five in Ras Ghareb
- one in Safaga
- one covering El Quseir, Marsa Alam and Shalatin
- the manager of the El Quseir branch
The outlet's breakdown does not quite add up to the 23 people the decision names, so the split between towns should be read with care.
Their jobs range from department and branch managers to operation and maintenance engineers, lawyers, water operation technicians and sanitation chemists, alongside administrative staff. Each is listed in the decision by name, job and place of work.
Dates
The powers rest on Article 23 of the Criminal Procedure Law No. 150 of 1950, together with the 1978 water law, and they run until 31 July 2028. The decision is to be published in the Egyptian Gazette at the expense of the body that requested it and takes effect the day after that publication, so the starting date depends on when the Gazette carries it.
Water supply has been a live issue on this coast. Hurghada News reported on 14 October that parts of Safaga and El Quseir were receiving mains water only once every eight days, three weeks after the end of summer.
The report does not set out what penalties these offences carry, how many inspections are planned, or any new route for residents to report a problem with their water.