Amman, Zarqa water distribution to be disrupted as of Sunday for maintenance

AMMAN — The water distribution programme in Amman and Zarqa will be slightly disrupted next week, as the Jordan Water Company (Miyahuna) will start maintenance on the Disi Water Conveyance Project, a Miyahuna official said on Saturday.

Less water will be pumped to Amman and Zarqa subscribers starting next Sunday when Miyahuna will start scheduled maintenance on the Disi project, which conveys 100mcm annually from the southern Disi aquifer, the company's official said.

The company carries out maintenance for the mega project during winter, when water demand is lower than in the hot season, the official said, noting that maintenance on the project will last four days between February 11 and 14.

"The water distribution programme will not, of course, be completely suspended for subscribers of Amman and Zarqa between these days. However, subscribers will receive less water," the official noted.

The subscribers will receive reduced water and experience shortened pumping hours during the maintenance period, the official said.

Under the water distribution programme, households across the Kingdom receive water once during a certain period, usually between 7 to 10 days, on a rotating basis. Scarce water resources in the country compelled the Kingdom to initiate the programme in the early 1980s to conserve limited resources whilst ensuring a sustainable supply of water.

As the company planned to suspend water pumping from the Disi project for four days, it filled it reservoirs in Amman and Zarqa to avoid water cuts during its maintenance work on the Disi project, according to the official.

A company’s statement indicated that the company will operate all of its water resources at full capacity to compensate for the suspension in water supply from the Disi project.

The Disi project conveys fossil water from the Disi aquifer in southern Jordan to the capital via a 325-kilometre pipeline. The project started pumping water to Amman in 2013.

Miyahuna has 600,000 subscribers in Amman and 150,000 subscribers in Zarqa.