Jordan’s main dams halfway filled after recent rainfall — ministry

AMMAN — The country’s 14 main dams received 34 million cubic metres (mcm) of rainwater over the past three days, putting them at around 50 per cent of their total 336mcm capacity, Water Minister Raed Abul Saud said on Saturday

Jordan’s accumulative rainfall since the beginning of winter has so far totalled 96.2 per cent of its long-term annual average, Abul Saud said, as quoted by the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

Since the beginning of the wet season, the Kingdom has received approximately 7.885 billion cubic metres of rainfall, which constitutes 107.8 per cent of last year’s total rainfall, the minister noted.

He added that Jordan’s main dams have received around 104mcm of rainwater between the start of the wet season and Saturday morning.

Abul Saud said that the King Talal Dam received the most rainwater during the recent depression with 17mcm, and that the dam is now at full capacity. The Waleh and Shuaib dams also reached their full capacities of 8.1mcm and 1.7mcm, respectively. 

Mujib Dam received 11.5mcm of rainwater, raising its water reserves to 26.5mcm, or 89 per cent of its capacity, while 1.4mcm of water entered the Kafrin Dam, raising its reserves to 6mcm or 71 per cent of its capacity, the minister noted.

Wihdeh Dam’s share of rainwater stood at 1.2mcm, raising its water level to 19.6 per cent of its full capacity of 110mcm. Wadi Al Arab Dam received 6.9mcm and is now at 41 per cent of its full capacity, while Sharhabil Dam stands at 21 per cent of its capacity, according to the minister. 

Abul Saud noted that the highest amount of precipitation was registered in Tafileh which received 13.8mm of rainfall, while Karak received 8.8mm, Shobak 5.9mm and Amman’s Bayader neighbourhood 6.8mm.