AMMAN - The Ministry of Environment has floated a tender for the establishment of an industrial wastewater treatment plant in Zarqa Governorate, home to about 52 per cent of the Kingdom's factories.
"The creation of the plant will greatly help address environmental pollution in the area, especially the polluted Zarqa River, which is contaminated by industrial wastewater from factories and facilities in the governorate," the ministry's spokesperson, Isa Shboul, told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.
By late July, the ministry will stop receiving bids for construction of the plant to begin the evaluation process and announce the winning bidder, he said, adding that the plant is expected to be completed two years after construction starts.
Industrial facilities and factories will be linked to the plant, which will treat the wastewater, Shboul said, noting that the treated water will be used for industrial and agricultural purposes.
The plant will be funded by the Ministry of Environment and the Zarqa Chamber of Industry, according to Shboul, and the chosen company will implement the project in line with state-of-the-art technology and specifications in the field.
After the tender is referred to the winning company, workshops will be held with representatives of industrial facilities in the governorate to acquaint them with the project and its environmental benefits, he added.
Once the new treatment plant is established, factories and industries located near the Zarqa River will be obliged to transfer wastewater generated from their facilities to the plant for treatment, Shboul earlier told The Jordan Times.
Other wastewater treatment plants established near the Zarqa River, such as Khirbet Al Samra and Ain Ghazal, receive sewage from industries and households, but the new plant will only process industrial wastewater.
Wastewater generated from industries, car wash stations and other facilities contain hazardous materials such as lead, sulphur and radioactive substances which pose a threat to public health and the environment, according to the ministry.
Such elements necessitate a separate facility which meets international standards and is specialised in the treatment of hazardous and chemical materials.
By Mohammad Ghazal
© Jordan Times 2008
