Stakeholders celebrate completion of Water Network Project

ZARQA — The Millennium Challenge Account-Jordan (MCA-Jordan), with support from the US Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), celebrated on Wednesday the completion of the Water Network Project and the Wastewater Network Project in Zarqa Governorate.

It also celebrated the inauguration of a new 1,627-square-metre administrative building for the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) in Zarqa, 22km northeast of Amman.

The ceremony highlighted the success of the projects managed by MCA-Jordan, a company owned by the government, which achieved its objectives in supporting the $275 million water and sanitation compact funded by the US government´s MCC.

Delivering a speech on behalf of Water Minister Hazem Nasser, WAJ Secretary General Tawfiq Habashneh highlighted the burdens of the Syrian refugee influx on the Kingdom's resources, especially water.

He said the government, represented by the Ministry of Water, has witnessed "great development" in infrastructure projects and "is working extensively to increase the water supply and sewer network services".

Delivering a speech on behalf of US Ambassador to Jordan Alice G. Wells, US Deputy Head of Mission Henry Wooster said Zarqa now has "over 1,100km of new water and wastewater pipes implemented in partnership between our two nations through the $275 million grant from the Millennium Challenge Corporation".

"The new building will co-locate the utilities operation and maintenance activities, enable better coordination and create more space for customer services. Customers will also enjoy access to a new public outreach centre on the top floor," Wooster noted.

He added that the project will also reduce energy consumption, water loss and operation and management costs.

"The addition of over 300km of wastewater pipes will reduce dramatically sewage overflows into city streets and neighbourhoods, and they will increase the collection of wastewater and recycling at the As Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant," Wooster said. 

"These projects represent the single largest investment in the Zarqa water sector," he said.

"They [the projects] were implemented by Jordanians for Jordanians. Over 3,000 workers, mostly from the Zarqa area, were employed by the programme," the diplomat said, noting that the construction project was completed on time and under budget.

"The savings were used to build over 130km of additional wastewater pipes... in fact, what I understand is that this may be the only MCC-funded projects to have built more works than were originally planned," Wooster said.

"In the last 16 years, the United States has provided more than $1 billion to strengthen Jordan’s water sector."

MCA-Jordan’s Water Network Project installed over 800km of pipes throughout the cities of Zarqa and Ruseifa, replaced 50,000 customer water meters and built a pumping station and reservoir in Ruseifa, 12km east of Amman.

The pipes are designed to increase the supply of water to households by increasing the hours of supply from 36 to 72 weekly and reducing non-revenue water from 50 to 35 per cent.

"Through six contracts, the Water Network Project employed local contractors to build the pipe networks, which created much needed work and sources of income for local tradesmen," MCA-Jordan CEO Kamal Zoubi said.

MCA-Jordan also celebrated its Wastewater Network Project, which improved the handling of wastewater generated by residential and non-residential buildings, and laid over 300km of pipes in the cities of Zarqa, Hashemiyeh and Ruseifa.

At the end of the ceremony, four sewer-cleaning vehicles were presented to WAJ to support wastewater system maintenance within the Wastewater Network Project's 300km network, as well as other networks within the governorate.

The vehicles will help the Jordan Water Company (Miyahuna) switch from responsive to preventative maintenance in order to help prolong the lifespan of the newly laid pipes, according to the MCA.