Jordan Times
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Water will be in
abundance by 2020 — minister
By Khalid Nuaimat and Mohammad Ghazal
AMMAN — By 2020, the country will no longer have a water deficit as
mega-projects will supply an abundance of water, a senior water official said on
Monday.
Although there is a water deficit in the country currently, this will be reduced
starting next year, according to Minister of Water and Irrigation Thafer Alem.
Water share per capita, which stands currently at 150 cubic metres per year, he
added, will rise to 160 cubic metres in 2007 as the Zara-Maeen project for water
treatment and desalination will provide the country with 40 million cubic metres
(mcm) annually.
The plant is expected to start operating in mid-August, the minister announced
at the government’s weekly press briefing yesterday.
Water deficit in the country this year stands at 425mcm; the country’s water
needs for drinking, agricultural and industrial purposes amounts to 1,300mcm
this year, according to Alem.
He added that by 2020 the $600 million Disi Water Conveyance Project would be
ready, supplying Amman and the southern governorates with some 170mcm of water
per year from the southern aquifer for the next 100 years.
The Red-Dead project will also be completed, said Alem, which includes the
establishment of a hydroelectric power generation project and a desalination
plant. The project will provide the country with 850mcm of potable water a year.
When these two projects are completed, the water share per capita will amount to
180 cubic metres, according to the minister.
Regarding water levels this summer, Alem said the ministry would carry out
maintenance work on pipelines to reduce water loss.
Currently, 46 per cent of the water pumped in the country is lost.
The minister attributes the loss to theft, worn out pipelines and construction
work that destroys the water network.
Alem said Jordan requested Syria to provide it with 15mcm of drinking water
during the summer to meet the increased demand.
Syria is expected to reply to the request on June 27 during the meetings of the
Jordanian-Syrian Higher Committee.