Dams now 40% full after slow start to rainy season

AMMAN — Following a discouraging start of the rainy season and the disappointing storage levels at the country’s 10 dams, the reservoirs are now 40 per cent full, an official said Saturday.

The dams now hold 135 million cubic metres (mcm) of water of their total capacity of 325mcm, Jordan Valley Authority Secretary General Saad Abu Hammour said.

“Storage is still lower than what they held during this time last year as the rainy season started late; however, multiple depressions have affected the country recently, and the dams are now catching up,” Abu Hammour told The Jordan Times.

The government official expressed hope that the storage of water in the dams would increase, highlighting that the country usually receives more rain in January.

Around this period last year, the dams held 143.4mcm, or 44 per cent of their total capacity, according to official figures.

The Kingdom’s 10 major dams are the King Talal, Wadi Al Arab, Sharhabil, Kafrein, Wadi Shuaib, Karameh, Tannour, Waleh, Mujib and Wihdeh dams.

Meanwhile, Abu Hammour noted that storage at the newly built Kufranjah Dam in Ajloun Governorate, located 70km northwest of Amman, has started increasing.

“The dam now holds 700,000 cubic metres, which is a good amount for a start,” the official highlighted.

Noting that the dam has not been officially launched yet, Abu Hammour said it is expected to receive more rainwater as winter continues; especially since it was constructed in an area that receives much runoff.

Construction on the Kufranjah Dam started in 2013. The project was funded by the Treasury at a cost of around JD20 million, in addition to JD2.2 million for supervising the implementation.

It was built to provide Ajloun with water for drinking and irrigation purposes.