Authorities mull establishing treatment plant to address frequent water cuts in Madaba

AMMAN — The Water Ministry is looking into establishing a water treatment plant for the Heidan wells in the central Madaba Governorate to address frequent water cuts during winter, a government official said on Saturday.

Water generated from Heidan wells is of high quality, but pumping from the wells is suspended several times during winter when water becomes muddy following heavy downpours, an official at the ministry said.

“The ministry is studying the establishment of a treatment plant for the Heidan wells with a capacity of 12 million cubic metres per year,” the official told The Jordan Times.

“The goal is to address quality concerns during winter and to ensure the continuity of water supply to Madaba,” he added.

Madaba, 30km southwest of Amman, receives its water mainly from the Waleh and Heidan wells, which also supply several parts of the capital. 

Some nine Heidan wells generate about 1,450 cubic metres per hour daily, according to the ministry.

Water Minister Hazem Nasser, who launched several water projects in the governorate last week, announced that projects worth JD7.5 million were implemented during 2014-2015 to improve supply in Madaba, noting that during this year, the ministry will implement more water projects at a cost of JD1.5 million.

“In addition, water and wastewater projects worth JD45 million will be implemented in Madaba under its 2016-2020 water strategy,” Nasser said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times.

In October 2013, the Jordan Water Company (Miyahuna) took over the water and wastewater services of Madaba, where it has 30,000 subscribers.

The water per capita share in the governorate, with a population of over 189,192, stands at 142 cubic metres, according to Miyahuna’s website, which also indicated that the water loss percentage in 2014 stood at 37 per cent.