Amman (JT) - US Charge d'Affaires David Hale and Minister of Water and Irrigation Munther Shara inaugurated the expanded wastewater facilities in the port city of Aqaba on Wednesday.
The US and Jordanian governments co-financed this $42 million project to upgrade and expand wastewater collection, treatment and reuse facilities in Aqaba, according to a statement released by the US embassy in Amman.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) provided more than $30 million in grant funding and the Jordanian government provided $5 million for the construction of the facilities.
In addition, USAID provided $3.7 million to finance the project's feasibility study and engineering design, and $3.3 million for the management and supervision services of the project, the statement said.
With the completion of this project, the wastewater treatment capacity in Aqaba was increased from 9,000 cubic metres/day to 21,000 cubic metres/day.
The project will serve both the population and businesses in Aqaba, as well as the city's growing commercial, tourist and industrial activities through the year 2025. The treated wastewater will be reused in agricultural, industrial and urban applications, including the beautification of Aqaba's public parks and public recreation areas under an agreement between the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA).
In addition, WAJ reached an agreement with the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company to sell to them two million cubic metres per year of reclaimed water, thereby saving Disi aquifer water for residential use.
The project involved the rehabilitation of existing treatment ponds; the construction of a new mechanical treatment plant; the construction of a wastewater collection system to serve two new residential areas; and the construction of agricultural and urban reclaimed water pumping stations, transmission and storage facilities for the reuse of treated water.
The contractor will also provide one year of operation and maintenance services, including training of Aqaba Water Company technical staff.
"Since 1997, the US has provided $490 million in assistance to Jordan's water sector alone... But, this project is not only about facilities and technology transfer. It is about improving people's lives," Hale said, in remarks during the inauguration ceremony.
USAID Jordan Mission Director Anne Aarnes along with several US embassy and local officials attended the ceremony, during which the project was officially turned over to the newly established Aqaba Water Company for operation and maintenance.
Hale also met with the ASEZA commissioners to discuss the various ongoing bilateral cooperation initiatives. In addition, he visited the Noor Al Hussein Foundation training centre, which had received a small grant from USAID to conduct business skills training for 130 Aqaba residents, thus helping them find employment.
© Jordan Times 2005
