Jordan- 1.7 million northern governorate residents to benefit from USAID-supported water system 

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) US Ambassador to Jordan Stuart Jones and Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar on Wednesday inaugurated the USAID-supported Northern Governorates Water System at a ceremony at the Zaatari Pumping Station in Mafraq.

The 48 million project - a collaboration between the Water Authority of Jordan and USAID - will meet the needs of 1.7 million Jordanians residing in the northern governorates, according to a US embassy statement.

With the completion of another venture, the Disi Water Conveyance Project, the pumping station will be able to transport water to communities in Irbid, Ajloun, Mafraq, and Jerash.

When at full capacity, the system will increase the supply of water to the region from the current capacity of 11 million cubic metres (mcm) to a maximum of 31mcm annually, the statement said.

Jones emphasised that the project would allow for a more regular delivery of water to households in the north and would help meet the needs of a burgeoning northern Jordan population.

To ensure a comprehensive solution to the water shortage in the northern governorates, USAID also is constructing a wastewater treatment plant in Mafraq, 80km northeast of Amman.

This plant will process water for agricultural purposes, thereby ensuring that not one drop of water in the region goes unused, the US embassy statement said.

Total USAID assistance in the water sector from 2000-2010 totals an estimated 537 million in infrastructure improvements and activities that promote more efficient management of water resources.