Several households complain of water supply cuts

AMMAN — Several Jordan Water Company (Miyahuna) subscribers living in the capital and its outskirts on Sunday complained that they had not received water for around 14 days, but the company said there had been no disruptions in supply.

Munther Mazraawi, who lives in the northeast Amman suburb of Marka, said his apartment building has not received water for almost two weeks. 

“We have been calling Miyahuna every day to fix the problem, but they just give promises,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

Mazraawi said he cannot keep purchasing water from tankers as four cubic metres cost JD25. 

Abu Hamadah, who owns a water tanker and mainly supplies residents of the Tlaa Al Ali area, said demand for water tankers rose sharply immediately after the recent snowstorm. 

“Demand usually rises in summer, but the past two weeks were also good for business,” Abu Hamadah noted.

Residents of Al Fakhourah neighbourhood in Russeifa District also said their households had not received water under the water the distribution programme for the third consecutive week.

Al Fakhourah resident Emad Abdul Salam said water used to be pumped to his house every Wednesday.

“This is the third week in a row that we have not received a single drop of water. We have contacted the Water Authority of Jordan in Zarqa Governorate and Miyahuna in Amman to complain, but to no avail,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone.

Abdul Salam noted that he and his neighbours have been buying water from tankers over the past few weeks.

“I have already bought water from tankers four times so far… not only are the tankers expensive, I also don’t trust the quality of the water,” he said.

Mohammad Al Farra, a resident of Amman’s Tlaa Al Ali neighbourhood, had the same complaint.

“I usually get water every Saturday and fill up my tanks before supply is suspended on Sunday, but I haven’t received any water for more than 12 days now,” Farra said, adding that he has been relying on tankers to supply his family with water.

However, Miyahuna operations director Ghazi Khalil said all of the water pumping stations feeding the capital are operational and water supply to the capital is running smoothly.

“The reported water cuts are individual cases. There are no problems with the water supply… households should wait for their turn to receive water,” Khalil told The Jordan Times.

Households in Amman receive water once a week on a rotating basis under the water distribution programme. Scarce water resources in the country compelled the Kingdom to initiate the programme in the early 1980s to ensure a sustainable supply for subscribers.

Miyahuna provides services to 600,000 subscribers in Amman, 80 per cent of whom are linked to the sewage network, according to company figures.