New wells operating in north to meet rising demand for water — minister

AMMAN — New wells started operating in the north on Saturday to meet the surge in demand for water caused by the influx of Syrian refugees, Water Minister Hazem Nasser said. 

“The new wells, which have been linked to the Zaatari water pumping station, were drilled to start operation by the start of summer to meet a rising demand for water in the north,” Nasser said in a statement.

The wells will generate 450 cubic metres of water per hour to enhance supply in the northern region, where the per capita share of water has dropped by 40 per cent since the start of the Syrian crisis in 2011, Nasser said.

Located in Mafraq, Irbid, Ajloun and Jerash, the wells are part of a strategy to address water shortage in the region, where many of the 1.3 million Syrians in Jordan have settled, the minister said. 

Ministry Spokesperson Omar Salameh said the ministry is working around the clock to explore new and unconventional water resources, especially in the north, but noted that the demand for water has reached exceptional levels.

“Despite all of the efforts to tap new water resources and additional amounts of water, the unprecedented pressure on water is rising and the ministry is facing more burdens to address water scarcity,” Salameh said.

Water shortage in Irbid’s Malka town in the north caused a riot on Thursday night, according to media reports, which claimed that the residents, who were protesting water cuts, damaged a pumping station and closed a main road.

Nasser said in the statement that the ministry is cooperating with international aid agencies to rehabilitate existing water networks to increase their capacity and reduce water loss. 

The ministry is also extending new water networks to improve supply in Irbid’s Bani Kinanah, Ramtha, Bani Obeid, Koura, Taibeh, Al Wistiyeh, the northern Jordan Valley and Mazar at a cost of JD500,000, the minister added.