Rehabilitated pumping station to provide more reliable water supply to 500,000 Zarqa residents

AMMAN — Work to improve the efficiency of the Zarqa water pumping station has been completed and will directly benefit more than half-a-million people in the area with a more regular and reliable water service. 

“Water loss at the pumping station will be greatly reduced following the improvements,” said a joint statement released by UNICEF and the international NGO, ACTED. 

The rehabilitation work was carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation by ACTED, with support from UNICEF Jordan and funding from UKAid. 

Water Authority of Jordan Secretary General Tawfiq Habashneh along with representatives from UNICEF Jordan and ACTED attended the ceremony to mark the completion of the improvements in Zarqa on Monday, according to the statement. 

“Providing support to water supply infrastructure in Jordan is one of ACTED’s foremost priorities. The rehabilitation of this pumping station marks an important stage in ongoing efforts to improve the delivery of potable water to Jordan’s communities,” ACTED Jordan Country Director Byron Pakula said at the event.

In addition to providing a more reliable and regular amount of water the rehabilitated station represents an important step towards achieving improved water demand management.

The statement quoted UNICEF Jordan Representative Robert Jenkins as saying that the agency “will continue collaborating with the government of Jordan and partners in improving regular and safe water delivery for the health and well-being of all children in Jordan and their families”. 

“Given the strain on water resources in Jordan, it’s critical that the water network is working as efficiently and effectively as it possibly can,” he added.

In Jordan, a range of water sources are used — predominantly deep boreholes and secondary springs in the hilly areas in the north. 

In most cases, several water sources feed the same networks, via centralised pumping stations, like the one in Zarqa, where water storage and treatment usually take place, the statement said. 

Jordan is one of the most water scarce countries in the world and the influx of refugees has further highlighted the importance of an effective water network across the country. 

UNICEF Jordan, ACTED and UKaid continue to provide support to the Water Ministry in rehabilitating infrastructure across the country to ensure the provision of safe water and sanitation services, particularly to those most affected by the refugee crisis, the statement added.

“I’m proud that the UK is helping towns like Zarqa improve key infrastructure such as this water pumping station. The UK wants to ensure that Jordanian communities have the support they need to remain resilient, especially now as they generously host large numbers of Syrian refugees,” UK Ambassador to Jordan Edward Oakden said. “This year alone we will be supporting Jordan with more than $110 million, which is just one aspect of our growing partnership in a challenging region.”