‘New $45 million wastewater pipeline to be built next year’

AMMAN — The Ministry of Water and Irrigation will construct a new wastewater pipeline in the first quarter of next year to transport sewage from Zarqa Governorate and parts of Amman to Al Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant, according to a government official.

The new pipeline will be established next to an existent conveyor that was built 30 years ago to transport wastewater from Zarqa and Amman to Al Samra plant, the official said on condition of anonymity.

The ministry seeks to replace the old pipe which is worn out, the ministry official added, noting that it is 1,200 millimetres wide.

“Because the pipeline was established three decades ago its condition has deteriorated, leading to several instances of sewage leakage over the past years,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone.

The ministry has completed the studies for replacing the pipeline and the tender documents are being prepared, while construction on the project is scheduled for April next year, according to the official.

The current pipeline conveys 80,000 cubic metres of wastewater daily from sewage networks in Zarqa and the Ruseifa District, as well as north and east Amman, the official said.

The most recent leakage from the pipe occurred on Thursday night, when the pipe burst after reaching its maximum capacity, he added.

“Pressure on the wastewater infrastructure in the Kingdom is increasing, especially in areas hosting more Syrian refugees,” the official noted.

Once the new pipeline is constructed, the ministry will also rehabilitate and fix the current pipeline, which will serve as a route for wastewater in emergency cases, he said.

Construction of the new wastewater pipeline is expected to cost $45 million, according to the official, who noted that the German Development Bank (KfW) recently agreed to fund the project.

Al Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is being expanded on a build, operate and transfer formula at a cost of $223 million, treats 75 per cent of wastewater generated in the Kingdom and produces 70 per cent of the country’s sludge.

The plant currently treats 60 million cubic metres (mcm) of wastewater, according to officials, who said that after the expansion of the facility, its capacity will more than double to 133mcm.

There are 27 wastewater treatment plants in the Kingdom that treat 122 million cubic metres of wastewater per year, 115 million cubic metres of which are used for industrial purposes and irrigating certain crops, such as fodder, according to the ministry.