By Hana Namrouqa
http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=27916

AMMAN – A new JD5.5 million project aims to solve water loss in Karak Governorate, where over half the water is lost due to poor infrastructure, officials said on Tuesday.

Under an agreement signed yesterday by the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ), the German Development Bank (KfW) and a local engineering firm, reservoirs, pumping stations and water networks in the southern region of Muta will be revamped.

The Muta water networks rehabilitation project, jointly funded by the KfW and the WAJ, aims at reducing water loss in Karak, which stands at 60 per cent, developing water systems and reducing electricity consumption, WAJ Secretary General Munir Oweis said at the signing ceremony yesterday.

“Water per capita in Karak Governorate stands at 165 litres per day, which is a good amount, but the problem lies with deteriorated water networks, conveyance pipes and pumping stations,” Oweis underscored.

He added that the project will replace worn-out networks and improve the water supply in the Muta area, which encompasses seven villages.

Implementation of the project is scheduled to start “soon” and is expected to take one year, according to the ministry.

Meanwhile, Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar urged the engineering company tasked with implementing the project to speed up work to complete it ahead of schedule in order to curb Karak’s “high” water loss.

According to the WAJ, two water projects are currently under construction in Karak Governorate at a total cost of JD9 million, in addition to a JD10 million venture whose tender will be floated next month to improve the water supply in the southern governorate.