Mafraq main water carrier bursts leaving 40,000 without water

AMMAN — The main carrier that supplies Mafraq Governorate with water ruptured on Monday morning, leaving over 40,000 subscribers in the desert town without water, according to an official.

The carrier transfers 500 cubic metres of water per hour from Sama pumping station to most parts of Mafraq, 80 kilometres northeast of the capital, according to Director of Yarmouk Water Company Hassan Hazaimeh.

"The carrier, which is already old, has been pumping water at its highest capacity to meet the increasing demand for water in Mafraq, which hosts thousands of Syrian refugees and is witnessing high temperatures, Hazaimeh said.

The carrier exploded on Monday morning, Hazaimeh said, leaving Mafraq residents without water.

"The company’s teams have been working to fix the carrier since early morning. It is expected to be repaired today and water pumping is also expected to resume on Monday night," the official noted.

The water distribution programme will be delayed due to the disruption, the official said, calling on subscribers to understand that the "water disruption is temporary and out of the company's will”.

Demand for water in Mafraq and the northern governorates increased by 40 per cent since the start of the Syrian crisis in 2011. The governorate is hosting the Zaatari camp, which is the Middle East's largest refugee camp, where some 80,000 Syrian refugees have been living since it opened in 2012, according to UN figures.

As the conflict in Syria enters its sixth year, Jordan continues to host 1.4 million Syrians, of whom 85 per cent live among host communities.

Established in 2010, the Yarmouk Water Company provides water services to 300,000 subscribers and wastewater services to 100,000 subscribers in the country's four northern governorates of Mafraq, Irbid, Jerash and Ajloun.

The northern governorates' annual water needs stand at approximately 85 million cubic metres of water that is pumped mainly from underground water sources, according to the company.