Some facts about the well of Zam Zam

The Well of Zamzam (or the Zamzam Well, or just Zamzam) is a well located within the Masjid al Haram in Mecca, 20 meters east of the Kaaba, the holiest place in Islam. According to Islamic tradition it was a miraculously- generated source of water from angel Jibril (Gabriel), which began thousands of years ago when Ibraham's infant son was thirsty. Millions of pilgrims visit the well each year while performing the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimages, in order to drink its water. By Saudi law, the water cannot be sold outside of the kingdom, but because of strong demand there is a thriving market in fake Zamzam water in other countries. Zam Zam is 18 X 14 ft and 18 meter deep water well.  

Some facts about the well of Zam Zam:

1)This well has never dried up. On the contrary it has always fulfilled the demand for water.

2)It has always maintained the same salt composition and taste ever since it came into existence. Its potability has always been universally recognised as pilgrims from all over the world visit Ka'aba every year for Hajj and umrah, but have never complained about it. Instead, they have always enjoyed the water that refreshes them. Water tastes different at different places. 

3)Zamzam water's appeal has always been universal. This water has never been chemically treated as is the case with water pumped into the cities. 

4)Biological growth and vegetation usually takes place in most wells. This makes the water unpalatable owing to the growth of algae causing taste and odour problems. But in the case of the Zamzam water well, there wasn't any sign of biological growth.

The well of Zam Zam used to have a manual system of drawing water, till the early 1950s. In those days, the peak discharge drawn during the Haj season would just suffice the number of Hajis not exceeding a hundred thousand. Today, Hajis exceed 2.2 million and in addition, the Zam Zam water is being pumped to Masjid-i-Nabvi in Madinah through a 450km-long pipeline from Makkah. The installed pump capacity today is 3 cft/sec (1,350 gallon/minute). The well of Zam Zam has been in operation since the last 1,450 years at a stretch. Till an electric motor and pump was installed in the late 1940s or the early 50s, the discharge never exceeded 0.05 cft/sec (about 22.5 gallons per minute). The discharge from the well since then is on a constant rise with an increase in the number of Hajis. It has now reached 3cft/sec (1,346 gallons per minute) and runs constantly for hours per day, and sometimes without stopping for days. Today, Zam Zam water is supplied to 2.2 million Hajis during the Haj season and to Madinah. Any open well in the world, after a few years, suffers from the growth of algae, making water unpalatable and causing taste and odour problems. Here, Zam Zam has been operational for fourteen centuries without any biological or algae growth, and remains in use without any kind of treatment.