Jordan Times
Wednesday, January 19, 2004
US provides $17.5 million to
support Aqaba water projects
By Sahar Aloul
AMMAN — The Ministry of Water and Irrigation signed several agreements on
Tuesday with the US and Germany to develop water management practices and
systems around the Kingdom.
The $17.5 million grant agreement signed with the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) will improve the efficiency and capacity of
the Aqaba water system to meet the demand of the city's population up to the
year 2025.
The government will put up 15 per cent of the total cost of the construction
contract, estimated at $20.2 million.
The construction work is part of the Rehabilitation of Aqaba Water Facilities
Project. It will include five new concrete water reservoirs, rehabilitation of
three existing reservoirs, the construction of water pipelines, water
distribution service pipelines and nine pressure-reducing stations, and the
installation of a supervisory control and data system (SCADA) for the new water
system.
Upon completion, the project will reduce unaccounted for water in the southern
port city of Aqaba, according to the ministry.
The construction contract was awarded to Sorensen Gross Construction Company of
Michigan for $18.4 million, while the project engineering supervision services
contract agreement was awarded to Montgomery Watson Harza of Chicago in a joint
venture with two local engineering firms Montgomery Watson Harza Arabtech
Jardaneh and Arabtech Jardaneh for $1.8 million.
Construction of facilities covered by the two contracts is scheduled for
completion in July 2006.
Nasser signs two agreements with GTZ
Minister of Water and Irrigation Hazem Nasser, who signed the agreements with
USAID, signed two other contracts with the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ)
on Tuesday.
The first agreement, valued at 2.4 million euros, is for the improvement of
steering competence in the water sector (SCWS), which will improve the decision
making process within the sector.
“The project will support the decision making process in the water sector
through the establishment of an integrated information management system,” GTZ
Middle East Director Heinz Michael Hauser said during the signing ceremony.
He added that the project would also help institutionalise the National Water
Master Plan 2004 developed with GTZ's support.
The SCWS will be implemented in two stages over three years.
Under the second agreement, the GTZ will provide an additional 900,000 euros for
implementing the fifth and final stage of the operations management support
(OMS) project, which will be implemented in the northern and central
governorates.
“The project, launched in 1994, aims to rehabilitate all administrative
procedures and management, and improve its efficiency,” Nasser said.
The first two stages of the project, according to the minister, were completed
in Amman and the third stage in Irbid and Aqaba, while the fourth stage was
designed for the northern governorates.
The overall cost of the project is estimated at 15.7 million euros.