Dams at 33% capacity as rainfall boosts precipitation to 53% of seasonal average

AMMAN — Recent rainfall has added 8 million cubic meters (mcm) of water to Jordan’s 15 main dams, raising total storage to 95 mcm, or 33 per cent of their 288.1 mcm capacity, the Water and Irrigation Ministry announced on Saturday.

According to a ministry statement, the heaviest rainfall was concentrated in the eastern and southern regions. Mujib Dam recorded the highest inflow, receiving 4.5 mcm and bringing its storage to 18 mcm, or 74 per cent of capacity. 

Walah Dam received 2.5 mcm, reaching 4.4 mcm (17 per cent of capacity), while Wahidi Dam in Ma'an collected 750,000 cubic meters.

The remaining water was distributed among various desert reservoirs and dams, except for Zarqa Ma’in in Madaba, which did not receive any inflow, according to Al Mamlaka TV. 

Ministry spokesperson Omar Salameh said that despite the recent rainfall, dam storage remains below average, noting that water stored this season is down 26.6 per cent compared with last year. In the same period last year, dams held 143 mcm (45 per cent of capacity), whereas this year, storage has dropped to 95 mcm (33 per cent).

Salameh outlined potential government measures to address the anticipated water shortage, including securing new water sources, transferring water between regions and implementing usage restrictions. He assured that once the rainy season ends, the ministry will announce official plans to ensure a stable water supply.

Jordan Meteorological Department Director Raed Al Khattab said "The precipitation that fell as a result of this weather condition raised the current rainy season by 53 per cent of the seasonal average, especially in the south and east of the Kingdom."

The Ma'an monitoring station recorded 22.1mm, the highest percentage of the seasonal average, at 53%, followed by Ghor Al Safi station at 33mm, he said. However, rainfall across the Kingdom was below average so far, expressing hope for more in the coming period.