by Hana Namrouqa | Aug 07, 2013 | 23:23

AMMAN — The number of water-related complaints has dropped by half in Zarqa Governorate after authorities started pumping additional water to the densely populated city, according to a government official and residents.

In addition, the number of water complaints dropped by 80 per cent in Ruseifa after the Water Ministry increased the amount of water allocated for the district from the recently launched Disi Water Conveyance Project, Zarqa Water Department Director Mohammad Abu Meideen said on Wednesday.

“The extra amounts of water that were allocated to Zarqa from the Disi project hugely improved the water situation and raised the per capita share,” Abu Meideen noted.

The governorate started receiving 1,500 cubic metres per hour from the Disi project late last month, in addition to 300 cubic metres per hour to Ruseifa.

An additional 500 cubic metres per hour will be channelled soon to Zarqa, once work on a pipeline under construction is completed, according to the ministry.

“The water distribution programme has improved in Zarqa’s western neighbourhoods… its central areas and Ruseifa District,” Abu Meideen noted.

Salam Abu Lawi, a resident of Zarqa’s Hai Hamzah, said her house has been receiving water once a week with no delays over the past two weeks.

“There have been no problems with the water supply since last month, our two tanks are full, and my husband refills them when we get our turn in the distribution programme. This is going to be a great summer if the situation continues like this,” the mother of five told The Jordan Times over the phone.

Over one million people live in Zarqa Governorate, 22km east of Amman, which hosts over 50 per cent of the country’s industries. The Azraq wells have been the main supplier of water to Zarqa, producing 1,100 cubic metres per hour.

Carried out on a build-operate-transfer basis by Turkish company GAMA, the Disi project entailed the construction of a 325-kilometre pipeline to convey 100 million cubic metres annually from the ancient Disi aquifer in southern Jordan to the capital.

The water is being transferred to Amman via pipeline, which passes through several water stations in Maan, Tafileh, Karak and Madaba.

http://jordantimes.com/zarqa-water-complaints-drop-after-additional-pumping