Water Resources in

Jordan

Challenges for the Future January 9th 2012

Basic Information About Jordan

Area: 92,300 km2 (35,637 mi2)

Population: 6.4 million (2010)

Growth Rate: 3.6%

Percent of Youth: 70% (less than 30 yr)

Climate: Mediterranean to Arid

Rainfall:- 80% of the country receiving less than 100 mm of rain annually

- 4% of the country receiving more than 300 mm of rain annually

- Wet Year= 11,000 MCM, Dry Year = 5,800 MCM

Avg. annual = 8,500 MCM

Evaporation: 92.5% of water is lost to evaporation

Water and its Multiple uses • Water Scarcity: Jordan is a “Water Scarce” country.

• Water Scarce Country is one with less than 1000 cubic meters of

fresh water per person per year (FAO,1997) • < 1,700 m3/c/year “existing stress”

• < 1,000 m3/c/year “scarcity “

• < 500 m3/c/year “absolute scarcity”

• Jordan is recognized as one of the ten most water deprived countries

in the world.

• Total water withdrawal per capita: Water withdrawal is the quantity of

water removed from available sources for use in any purpose

• Comparison: (Per Capita Water Use)

• Jordan : 140 m3 /c/year

• USA : 1,550 m3/c/year

• Water Supply: 90 l/c/day < 120 l/c/day (standard)

• W.H.O. Standard for Hygiene: 50 l/c/day

Water and its Multiple uses Impacts of Water Scarcity:

Countries with less than 500 cubic meters per capita per year suffer from absolute

scarcity

• Economical

• Environmental impacts

• Social Impacts

• Constraints to industrial development

Water and its Multiple Uses

• Competition between water sectors: Municipal, Agriculture, Industrial and

tourism.

• In Jordan, There is an apparent bias in the allocation of water towards

agriculture.

• Water Use (Agriculture: 70%, Municipal 24%, Industrial 5%, Tourism 1%)

• Municipal : 290 MCM, Industrial: 39 MCM, Irrigation: 588 MCM (2006)

Water Resources

Water Resources • Surface water: Jordan River, Yarmouk River and Zarqa River

• Ground Water: Renewable: Yarmouk, Amman-Zarqa and Dead Sea Basins

Non-renewable: DISI AQUIFER

• Unconventional Water :Treated Wastewater, Brackish Groundwater, Desalination

Surface Water Jordan River

• Catchment Area: 18,194 km2

• Flows through Lebanon, Israel,

Syria, Palestine and Jordan

• Originates from springs:

Hasbani (Lebanon), Dan

(Israel) and Banias (Golan)

Surface Water Yarmouk River

• Catchment Area: 6,780 km2

• Major tributary of Jordan River

• The northern portion of the river

is between Jordan and Syria,

and southern portion is between

Jordan and Israel

• Flow decreased from 400 MCM

(1970) to 150 MCM due to

developments in the upstream

Syrian part of the catchment

Surface Water

Zarqa River

• Catchment Area: 4,025 km2

• The catchment area for the

Zarqa River is the most densely

populated area in Jordan

• Polluted by industrial activities

and wastewater treatment plants

Ground Water Resources • Groundwater resources are over exploited.

• Above safe yield (275 MCM)

• Significant decline in water quality

• Over application of fertilizers and pesticides

• Illegal Wells.

– More than one 1,000 unlicensed wells in use

compared to 2,779 licensed wells

Safe Yield

% Abstracted from SafeYield

Balance Total water abstracted

(M.C.M)

Safe Yield

(M.C.M)

Ground Water

Basin

108.0

-3.3

43.3

40.0 Yarmouk

172.0

-10.9

25.9

15.0 Side Valleys

133.0

-6.9

27.9

21.0 Jordan Valley

247.0 -35.3 59.3 24.0 Azraq

158.0

-51.2

138.7

87.5 Amman-Zarqa

76.0 1.2 3.8 5.0 Serhan

11.0 7.1 0.9 8.0 Hammad

157.0

-32.3

89.3

57.0 Dead Sea

66.0

42.9

82.1

125

Desi and Mudawrah

193.0

-3.2

6.7

3.5 North Araba

Valley

316.0

-11.9

17.4

5.5 Red Sea\

South Araba Valley

276.0

-15.8

24.8

9.0 Jafer

-170.805

520.1

275.5

Total

"Safe yield" means the

amount of groundwater that

can be withdrawn from a

groundwater basin over a

period of time without

exceeding the long-term

recharge of the basin or

unreasonably affecting the

basin's physical and

chemical integrity.

Disi Aquifer

• Shared Aquifer between Jordan and Saudi Arabia

• Currently Jordan pumps 77MCM, Saudi Arabia 600-700 MCM

• Aqaba pumps 17 MCM projected to go up 35 MCM

Will connect aquifer to Amman with a 325 Km pipeline.

• Aquifer will provide 100 MCM/year over 100 years.

• Price of water = JD 0.820 (Expensive water!)

• “Gap Stopping” Measure!

Brackish Groundwater and Desalination

• Jordan has a number of brackish water

springs with limited use.

• Salinity places restrictions on crop selection

• Plans for more desalination plants

Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal (Conveyor) “The Red-Dead”

Dead Sea

• Uniqueness comes from :

– Location, Climate and Properties

– Cultural and religious treasure

– Unique environment

– Economic Attraction

What is the Problem?

– Average annual inflow to DS has decreased 1,200

MCM/yr to 250 MCM/yr leading to a water level decline

of about 1 m/yr

– Water level drop of more than 24 meters

– No action will cause loss of historic site, loss of valuable

GW resources and ecological imbalance

Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal (Conveyor)

“The Red-Dead”

Water Allocation: Jordan 570 MCM, Palestine 220 MCM, Israel 50 MCM

“The Red-Dead”

Shared Envision of Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Transfer

• Save The Dead sea from further environmental degradation

• Desalination water/generate energy for Jordan, Israel and

Palestine

• Build a symbol of peace and cooperation in The Middle East

“The Red-Dead”

Technical Challenges

• Pipeline Alignment

• Blending of Brine water with Dead Sea Water

• Seismic Activity

• Environmental impacts

• Never been tried before !

Household Water Supply • Water is supplied by water companies

– Miyahuna

• Zay Water Treatment Plant (Provides about 50% of Water to City of Amman)

– Alyarmouk

– Aqaba Water Company

• Governmental institutions

– Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MOWI)

– Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ)

– Jordan Valley Authority (JVA)

Amman Water Supply

Amman Water Supply

Amman Water Treatment

Zay Treatment Plant

Household Water Supply

How is Water Supplied? • Most areas get water once a week

– Schedule is online

– Interruptions

– Water tanks from private wells

• Water is stored in tanks located on roofs

– Maintenance issues

– Major issue in schools

• Common operational problems

– Leaky pipes (NRW)

– Air

– Inaccurate water readings

– Weak pressure tall buildings

Household Water Supply

Meters • Meters

– Major source of complaint in Amman

– Analog residential meters

– Electromagnetic for large consumers

– Reading is done monthly or quarterly

Household Water Supply

Billing • Household Bill

Water is subsidized

Household Water Supply

Jordan Statistics (Sample Size 1,000)

• 84% of respondents recognize water shortage in Jordan.

• 90% of respondents agree government should enforce penalties on

people who misuse water.

• 71% of respondents disagree the government should raise water tariffs.

• 75% of respondents had no garden.

• 49% of respondents had no car to wash.

• 42% of respondents had flush toilets.

• 73% of respondents had no automatic washing machine.

• Source: KAP Household-Baseline Survey (2010) USAID-PAP

End Use Analysis

Household Water Supply

Challenges • Water is transported in highland areas

– Electricity cost

– Pumping cost

• Water supply challenges

– Population increase

– Resource limitation

– Transporting water from source to where it is needed

– Water Quality issues

• Customers in Amman do not trust tap water due to negative

experiences in the past!

Household Demand Management

Why? • Jordanian efforts towards water resources have been “Supply Driven”.

– Capital investment of new water supply projects

• By 2020, total demand for water 1,685 MCM while available water

resources are 850 MCM. Shortfall of 396 MCM.

• Shift to Water Demand Management and conservation is essential to

Jordan.

– More emphasis on behaviors and economic uses (efficiency and

conservation)

Household Demand Management

National Water Strategy (1997)

• Strategy states that “resource management shall continually aim at achieving

the highest possible efficiency in the conveyance, distribution, application and

use”

– Promotion of water saving systems and devices

• WDM Programs in Jordan

– USAID-WEPIA (Water Efficiency and Public Information for Action Program).

– USAID-IDARA (Instituting Water Demand Management in Jordan)- (On-going)

– USAID-PAP (Public Action Project for Water, Energy and Environment)- (On-going)

Household Demand Management

• USAID-IDARA

– Increasing water awareness through media

– Introduce WDM concepts in school curriculums

– Plumbing Code (retrofitting)

– Solar Energy Code

– Water Efficiency Guides for variety of water consumers

• USAID-PAP

– Efficiency (Technology)

• Aerators: 33% penetration in Jordan

• Showerheads: Difficult to promote-Plumbing issues

• Dual-flush toilets: House renovations

• Labeling : Energy Star, Water Sense

Household Demand Management

• Plumbing Code

– Rain Water Harvesting • Mandatory in all New Houses

– Greywater Reuse • water from baths, showers, hand basins and washing machines

Household Demand Management

– Conservation (Behaviors)

Themes Appliances Indoor Maintenance Outdoor

Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they are full. You can save up to 3,785 liters a month. A half empty load is wasted water.

Designate one glass for your drinking water each day or refill a water bottle. This will cut down on the number of glasses to wash.

Monitor your water bill for unusually high use. Your bill and water meter are tools that can help you discover leaks.

Water your lawn and garden in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler to minimize evaporation.

When buying new appliances, consider those that offer cycle and load size adjustments. They're more water and energy efficient.

Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.

Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a leak. Fixing it can save up to 3,785 liters a month.

Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway and sidewalk and save water every time.

When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load. Turn off the water while you wash your hair to save up to 568 liters a month.

Listen for dripping faucets and running toilets. Fixing a leak can save 1,136 liters a month or more.

Group plants with the same watering needs together to avoid overwatering some while underwatering others.

When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load. Turn off the water while you shave and save up to 1,136 liters a month. Do plumbing maintenance once a year. Don't wait till you have a visible leak. It may have been going on unnoticed for a long time.

Insulate hot water pipes for more immediate hot water at the faucet and for energy savings.

Washing dark clothes in cold water saves both on water and energy while it helps your clothes to keep their colors.

To save water and time, consider washing your face or brushing your teeth while in the shower.

Check your water bill. If the volume of water you are using suddenly spikes, you may have a leak.

When shopping for a new clothes washer, compare resource savings among Energy Star models. Some of these can save up to 76 liters per load, and energy too.

Keep a bucket in the shower to catch water as it warms up or runs. Use this water to clean vegetables and fruits; flush toilets; water plants; wash dishes--it's treated water and clean.

At work, alert the building maintenance men if the toilet or faucets leak.

Use cold water even for white washes. All detergents are now formulated for cold water. Re-set your washing machine for cold or tepid water

When you are washing your hands, don't let the water run while you lather.

If your shower fills a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, replace the showerhead with a water-efficient model.

Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you'll save up to 568 liters gallons per month.

Use a water-efficient showerhead. They're inexpensive, easy to install, and can save you up to 2,839 liters a month.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and save 95 liters a month.

If your toilet flapper doesn't close after flushing, replace it.

Make sure there are water-saving aerators on all of your faucets.

Use a hose nozzle or turn off the water while you wash your car. You'll save up to 379 liters every time.

If your toilet was installed before 1992, reduce the amount of water used for each flush by inserting a displacement device in the tank; replacing the toilet; or replacing the flush mechanism. Ask your plumber.

Teach your children to turn off faucets tightly after each use.

Thank You !