JEDDAH: A total of 12 million liters of Zamzam water were distributed at the Grand Mosque during this year’s Hajj period, according to official figures.

The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques said via Twitter on Saturday that the water was distributed over a period of 15 days.

Abdulrahman Al-Zahrani, who manages the Zamzam water department at the mosque, said the total comprised 990,000 liters distributed in the form of 3 million 330ml bottles and 11 million liters from more than 25,000 water containers, each with a capacity of 40 liters.

The containers, distributed throughout the Grand Mosque and its courtyards, were refilled five times a day.

Al-Zahrani said 1,150 workers helped to distribute the bottles, while 80 smart carts and water-dispensing robots were also employed around the mosque to ensure the pilgrims kept hydrated.

All of the carts and bags used to carry the water, were frequently washed and sterilized to ensure good health standards, he added.

The same sanitation protocols were applied to the water pumps, which were supervised by 150 workers, he said.

As a further safety measure, employees of the Zamzam water laboratory tested more than 70 samples a day to ensure the water pumped to the Grand Mosque was potable.

Al-Zahrani said technology would increasingly be used in the management and distribution of Zamzam water, in line with the 2024 plan for the presidency — headed by Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais — and the wider Saudi Vision 2030.

The volume of Zamzam water distributed during the Hajj period was about the same as provided during Ramadan, taking the total for the year to 24 million liters.