Miyahuna cracking down on water waste in Zarqa

AMMAN — The Jordan Water Company (Miyahuna) in Zarqa Governorate is issuing tickets and suspending services to subscribers wasting water, an official said on Monday.

Many streets in Zarqa, some 22km northeast of Amman, are often flooded with water, whose source is not a broken or leaking pipe, but worn-out rooftop tanks and deteriorated water systems at households, according to a Miyahuna official in the governorate.

“We urge water subscribers in Zarqa to check their home plumbing and water systems, and to carry out regular maintenance to avoid wasting much-needed and precious freshwater,” the source told The Jordan Times on condition of anonymity.

Miyahuna in Zarqa launched a campaign earlier this month to reduce water leakage from rooftop tanks and deteriorated household water systems, according to the official, who noted that fresh water is often found flowing through the streets of Zarqa.

A total of 40 water wastage violations have been recorded in the governorate, which has a population of around 1.4 million, this month, the official said.

“Scores of tickets have been issued to those who waste water. The company has also suspended its water services to repeat offenders,” he added.

The water meters of six subscribers have been removed since the campaign was launched, while 36 subscribers have received tickets for wasting water, according to Miyahuna figures.

The Ministry of Water and Irrigation issued a communiqué last summer, urging water companies and directorates across the Kingdom to enforce the law against consumers, who waste water and those who use potable water for any purpose other than drinking.

An official at the ministry said on Monday that the campaign against water waste seeks to protect the “very precious and rare commodity”, underscoring that the government pays JD1.9 for every cubic metre of water pumped to consumers.

The ministry official highlighted that wasting water is a crime under the amended Water Authority of Jordan Law.

Miyahuna provides services to 150,000 subscribers in Zarqa, 70 per cent of whom are linked to the sewage network.

Water loss during the second half of 2016 in Zarqa was 53.6 per cent, down from 61.5 per cent in the first half of the year, according to official figures.

Water supply in the governorate is 36 hours per week.