by Hana Namrouqa | Nov 26, 2013 | 22:12
Fifty per cent of expansion work on the Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant has been completed, according to the Millennium Challenge Account-Jordan (File photo)

AMMAN — Weekly water supply hours in Zarqa Governorate will almost double within three years while water per capita will increase by 30 per cent, according to officials at the Millennium Challenge Account-Jordan (MCA).

Water and wastewater projects in Zarqa are progressing according to schedule and will be completed early in 2015, MCA-Jordan CEO Kamal Zoubi said at a press conference on Tuesday.

MCA-Jordan, a government-owned company, is implementing three main projects under a $275-million grant from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The projects include the rehabilitation and expansion of the wastewater network, the rehabilitation and restructuring of water networks and the expansion of the Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant.

“Progress on the rehabilitation and expansion of the wastewater network project reached 37 per cent,” Zoubi told reporters.

MCA-Jordan awarded five tenders to local contractors and one foreign company for the rehabilitation and restructuring of the water network, which comprises 800 kilometres of pipes.

“Work on the water network project is expected to commence early next year and be completed in March 2016,” Zoubi noted.

Once completed, water loss will drop from the current 50 per cent to less than 35 per cent and water supply will increase from 36 to 70 hours per week, he added.

Meanwhile, 50 per cent of the expansion work on the Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant has been completed, according to Zoubi, who noted that it will be ready in July 2015.

“The plant will become one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the Middle East and North Africa region. It will treat over 70 per cent of wastewater generated in the country,” Zoubi said.

The plant currently treats 60 million cubic metres (mcm) of wastewater, he said, underscoring that after the expansion of the facility the capacity will more than double to 133mcm.

MCC Resident Country Director Alex Russin said the water generated from the treatment plant constitutes 10 per cent of Jordan’s total water resources.

The three projects constitute a “closed water cycle”, Russin said, noting that the new water pipes will reduce leakage and save precious water, while the wastewater networks will collect the sewage and the Samra plant will treat water which will be used for irrigation.

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