Southern Resident Arrested for Suspected Arson at Wastewater Facility

A man in his 50s from Umm Batin was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of involvement in setting fire to the electrical room at a wastewater treatment facility in the Neve Midbar Regional Council. The suspect has been transferred for further investigation by the Rotem District Police and is expected to appear in the Beersheba Magistrate's Court to request an extension of his detention. The investigation began following a fire that broke out at the facility's electrical room last weekend. Police officers and forensic investigators were called to the scene, collecting evidence. A fire investigator was also summoned and determined that the fire was suspected to be criminal in origin. The blaze caused significant damage to the facility's infrastructure, leading to wastewater flowing into the Beer Sheva stream. The Water Authority stated that its personnel, in coordination with the Neve Midbar Water and Sewage Corporation, worked to mitigate the environmental hazard. Engineering measures were taken to halt the wastewater flow at the pre-treatment facility, and efforts were made to activate an emergency bypass line using generators to prevent further spillage into the stream.