Summer water budget allocations announced

AMMAN — The Water Ministry announced on Tuesday its summer water budget, under which allocations to different governorates were increased to meet a growing demand.

The ministry said in a statement it has allocated 185 million cubic metres (mcm) to the Jordan Water Company (Miyahuna), which serves the capital, Zarqa and Madaba for a population of approximately 4.1 million people or 617,000 subscribers.

The ministry prepares the annual budget to deal with the increasing demand for water during summer, when rising temperatures combine with the return of expatriates, the start of the fasting month of Ramadan and students' summer holiday, an official at the ministry told The Jordan Times.

The fact that the number of Syrians in the Kingdom is also increasing — estimated at around 1.3 million — more pressure on the limited water shares is building, the official said, underscoring that the summer water budgeting was a "tough process" this year.

In the statement, which was e-mailed to The Jordan Times, Water Minister Hazem Nasser said 97.241mcm of Miyahuna's water allocations will be for the summer months, noting that the capital's water resources will supply Ruseifa, Zarqa, Um Rummaneh and Balqa with 49mcm to meet their water needs during summer.

In a preparation for dealing with water cuts and emergencies during the hot season, the ministry will unify its complaints hotline and link it to a reception centre in Miyahuna, according to the statement.

In addition, 50 technical teams will be working around-the-clock to address water-related emergencies, according to the statement, which indicated that 25 additional technical teams will be handling wastewater emergencies, while the number of water tankers will also be increased to supply households in case of cuts or delays.

Nasser announced increasing water allocations in Balqa Governorate from 35.2mcm in 2015 to 47.2mcm this year, while water allocations for Karak Governorate increased from 21.6mcm last year to 28mcm this year. 

Tafileh's water amounts increased from 5.9mcm in 2015 to 9.8mcm this year, Maan's water allocations increased from 13.9mcm last year to 16.6mcm this year.

In Aqaba, the ministry said the city will be supplied with 61,237 cubic metres per month, indicating that the number of subscribers in Aqaba stands at 32,205.

Meanwhile, the ministry will supply Yarmouk Water Company, which manages the water and wastewater services in the northern governorates of Jerash, Irbid, Ajloun and Mafraq with 84.265mcm this year to cater to 308,500 subscribers.

The water allocations for the northern governorates increased by 20mcm compared to the previous year, according to the ministry, which indicated that demand for water is increasing in the north, where the majority of Syrian refugees reside.