Household rainwater harvesting ‘a necessity, not an option’ — JEU

AMMAN — The Directorate of Agriculture in Irbid Governorate implemented a project involving the drilling of rainwater harvesting pits for household-use to encourage sustainable water use among residents of the governorate. 

The project, which receives funding from the Irbid Governorate Council budget, has started receiving requests from potential beneficiaries. 

Eligible beneficiaries must present evidence of the presence of a building, which must be situated on no less than 300 square metres of arable land surrounding the perimeter of where the pit would be dug, according to Irbid Directorate of Agriculture requirements.

Welcoming the move, President of the Jordan Environment Union (JEU) Omar Shoshan said that in light of the challenges emanating from climate change, household rainwater harvesting has become “a necessity and not an option”.

Rainwater harvesting is an ideal solution, especially for regions that enjoy high rainfall and suffer from high levels of water stress in the summer, Shoshan told The Jordan Times.

The union is calling to expand the project through harnessing solar energy to pump the water to residential water tanks.

Shoshan further called for a unified code for the construction of rainwater harvesting pits for buildings in all areas that receive a decent amount of rain, as it is the case in the Greater Amman Municipality. 

In a recent interview with the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Head of the Irbid Governorate Council Khaldoun Bani Hani said that the project aims to empower families through harvesting rainwater for drinking and irrigation purposes. The project aims to establish 500 pits in the project’s initial phase, which is set to conclude at the end of its first year, he added.

Ultimately, the project aims to construct a total of 5,000 pits, which the council estimates could provide around 200,000 cubic metres of water suitable to be used for drinking and irrigation.