Jordan, US Sign $78.2M Deal To Prepare Water Networks For National Carrier Supplies

(MENAFN- Jordan Times) AMMAN - Jordan and the United States on Sunday signed a $78.2 million agreement to prepare the Kingdom's water infrastructure to receive, convey and distribute additional supplies from the National Water Carrier Project.

The agreement, signed between the Water Authority of Jordan and the US Embassy in Amman under the patronage of Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abu Saud, is the first major initiative under the National Water Carrier Readiness Programme.

The agreement includes $69 million in funding from the US government and $9.2 million from the Government of Jordan.

The programme is designed to prepare national infrastructure to absorb the additional water quantities expected from the National Water Carrier Project, which is considered the largest water infrastructure project in Jordan's history and one of the main pillars of the Kingdom's water security strategy.

The project is expected to provide around 300 million cubic metres of water annually, covering nearly 40 per cent of Jordan's estimated drinking water needs of around 750 million cubic metres per year.

Abu Saud said the agreement constitutes a pivotal step in preparing national infrastructure to receive and distribute additional water quantities from the National Water Carrier Project.

He said it also reflects the government's commitment to implementing Royal directives to develop sustainable water solutions, strengthen water security and improve the continuity of water supply.

The minister commended US support for Jordan's water sector, saying it will contribute to addressing various challenges, improving service levels, strengthening water services and advancing the mutual interests of the two countries.

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan, who attended the signing ceremony, stressed the importance of the agreement, describing it as the“starting point” for the most important supporting projects linked to the National Water Carrier Project.

Sunday's agreement marks a practical step in moving from planning to implementation through investment in priority infrastructure components needed to prepare Jordan's water system to receive, convey and distribute additional quantities from the project.

Under the agreement, strategic reservoirs, transmission pipelines and advanced monitoring and leak-detection systems will be implemented in Amman and Zarqa to link the project's receiving points with main distribution networks, improve system performance and reduce water losses.

The National Water Carrier Readiness Programme includes a package of projects aimed at preparing Jordan's water system to integrate the additional quantities expected from the project.

The programme includes 11 major water infrastructure projects across the Kingdom, with an estimated total value of around $850 million.

Jordan is pursuing the National Water Carrier Project as part of its long-term response to a widening gap between water supply and demand. The Kingdom is among the most water-scarce countries in the world, with limited renewable freshwater resources, declining groundwater levels and rising demand driven by population growth, urban expansion and the impact of climate change.

For years, the water sector has relied on a combination of groundwater, surface water, treated wastewater reuse and limited regional water arrangements to meet demand. But these sources have not been sufficient to close the structural deficit, leaving many areas dependent on intermittent supply schedules and placing growing pressure on aquifers.

The National Water Carrier Project is intended to create a new, large-scale and more reliable source of drinking water by desalinating seawater in Aqaba and conveying it to population centres, mainly in the central and northern parts of the Kingdom.

Officials have repeatedly described the project as essential to Jordan's water security, not only because of the quantities it is expected to provide, but also because it would reduce pressure on overstretched conventional resources and improve the resilience of the national water system.

The readiness programme is therefore aimed at ensuring that the infrastructure needed to receive and distribute the new supplies is in place once the project becomes operational.

The National Water Carrier Project recently moved a step closer to implementation in April after the signing of the final technical and legal agreement for the Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance Project. The agreement paves the way for financial close by early July and for construction and excavation works to begin this summer.

The project's capital cost is estimated at around $4.3 billion, while the total cost, including financing, is projected at approximately $5.8 billion. Once operational, it is expected to provide 300 million cubic metres of desalinated water annually from Aqaba, covering around 40 per cent of Jordan's drinking water needs.

The National Water Carrier is a cornerstone of Jordan's water security strategy and a key step towards greater self-reliance in one of the world's most water-scarce countries. The project combines large-scale seawater desalination, pumping water to elevations of up to 1,100 metres and conveying it through a pipeline network of around 450 kilometres.

The government has said the project will be accompanied by measures to reduce water loss, improve consumption efficiency and introduce advanced conservation technologies, placing it at the centre of Jordan's long-term response to the widening gap between water supply and demand.

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