The Millennium Challenge Account-Jordan (MCA-Jordan) has announced that the field work of its principle water and sanitation projects in Zarqa Governorate will be completed by April 2016. The company, a Government of Jordan entity, is responsible for implementing a five year, $275 million Compact signed by U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
“The Compact’s projects are considered one of the largest water and sanitation interventions in the history of the Kingdom,” said MCA-Jordan CEO Eng. Kamal Zoubi.
Currently under construction are nearly 800 km of drinking water pipes that supply Zarqa and Russeifa along with 50,000 new water meters and a new pump station and reservoir in Basateen area. In the same Governorate, nearly 300 km of new sewage lines are under construction, soon to dramatically reduce sewage overflows into city streets and increase collection of wastewater for water treatment and recycling. The expansion of the As-Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) partially financed by $93 million from the MCC is expected to be complete in the fall of 2015.
MCA-Jordan has accomplished 75% of its Water Network Project, which focuses on rehabilitating and restructuring the primary and secondary water networks in Zarqa Governorate to bring water loss levels from 50% to 35%. “The project will contribute to increasing water supply hours from an average 36 to 72 hours per week,” added Zoubi.
Under the Water Network Project, the company implements the Water Smart Homes-Activity, which is comprised of an awareness and behavioral change campaign that was launched in February this year to promote best in house water management practices among the people of Zarqa Governorate. The project also includes a direct intervention to maintain and repair a large portion of the water systems inside the houses of the beneficiaries of the National Aid Fund in Zarqa Governorate. Till date, the company has provided repairs and replacements of water tanks and fixtures in addition to other maintenance activities of water facilities for almost 500 poor households in the governorate.
As part of the Wastewater Network Project, which stands at a progress rate of 85%, MCA-Jordan recently signed agreements with two of its contractors. Both, the joint venture of Haymour and Omariyah as well as Al-Masseera, were contracted to service additional areas in Princess Haya Neighborhood in Zarqa city. “The additional areas are about 25% of the works. Soon, there will also be a final extension of these services to reach out to the rest of properties in this area,” Zoubi said.
MCC’s contribution to the expansion of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation‘s As-Samra WWTP, under an innovative Public Private financing initiative, will help ensure that the plant continues to be one of the largest and most modern wastewater treatment plants in the Middle East. The plant will also provide 133 MCM annually of high quality treated water for irrigation in the Jordan Valley - over 10% of Jordan’s entire annual water resource. The plant dramatically improves both the quantity and the quality of water available to the downstream agricultural areas that rely heavily on treated water for irrigation purposes.
MCA-Jordan referred to some of the complaints received from the local community, stressing that the company is exerting best efforts to minimize the noise and dust in addition to expediting reinstatements of the streets. “We want to thank our different partners; from municipalities, government entities, private sector, to civil society organizations, and local citizens, for their patience and support to our program during the past few years. Needless to say that their cooperation and input were critical to the success of these key social and infrastructure projects designed to benefit the people of Zarqa,” Zoubi added.
“The United States through the Millennium Challenge Corporation is proud to partner with Jordan to achieve the compact’s full promise, because with greater water security, Jordanians will also reduce poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth,” said MCC Resident Country Director Alex Russin.