The Millennium Challenge Account-Jordan (MCA-Jordan), the company owned by the Government of Jordan to implement the $275 million grant from the U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), organized a meeting that highlighted the success of the program and brought a group of experts from the water sector to discuss practical measures to overcome the challenge of improving and increasing the household connections to the general wastewater network in Zarqa, Amman and Irbid.
MCA-Jordan CEO Eng. Kamal Zoubi explained that “the MCA-Jordan has executed several leading projects that were financed by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in the governorate of Zarqa, including the rehabilitation and expansion of 300 km of wastewater networks, which will contribute to diminishing the overflow of wastewater in Zarqa’s streets while simultaneously ameliorate the environmental and living conditions of the governorate’s inhabitants and the businesses that operate within it. This project will increase the number of Zarqa households connected to the general wastewater network to 82 percent, up from 72 percent.”
The meeting highlighted the benefits of encouraging connecting to wastewater networks, which include cutting down on maintenance costs and emptying of cesspits, discontinuing the need for cesspits, increasing the areas of usable land, protecting groundwater basins from pollution and protecting the health of citizens as well as their environment from the negative effects and odors resulting from cesspits.
During the meeting, experts in the water sector discussed ways to improve the level of connections in all areas of the Kingdom.
The meeting was attended by members of MCC, MCA-Jordan, Miyahuna, the Water Authority of Jordan, representatives of the Zarqa governorate and a number of organizations and establishments.
The program, financed by MCA with a total value of $275 million and a time frame of five years (2011-2016), aimed at fighting poverty through enhancing economic growth. It comprised three main missions:
1)The Water Networks Project, which included the installation of more than 800 kilometers of new water pipes along with 50,000 new water meters, a new pumping station and reservoir in the Basateen area to limit water leakage. The project will assist in reducing water loss from 35% to 50% and increasing the water supply average from 36 to 72 hours weekly.
2)The Wastewater Networks Project, which included the installation of more than 300 kilometers of wastewater pipes in the Zarqa governorate, and reduces the overflowing of wastewater into the streets, improves the living and environmental standards of citizens and businesses, and increases the percentage of areas that are connected to wastewater networks from 72% to 82%.
3)Khirbet Al Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion Project, which treats 70% of Jordan’s wastewater, including water that originates in the capital, Amman, and provides 133 million cubic meters of treated water - equal to 10% of the Jordan’s yearly water supply.