Groundwater provides 80% of Jordan's drinking water, says water minister

1. Al Wehda Dam
(File photo: Jordan News)
AMMAN — Jordan's Minister of Water and Irrigation, Mohammad Al-Najjar, has announced that 80 percent of the drinking water in the country is groundwater. The water, he added, is derived from rainy seasons that have occurred over a period of several years.اضافة اعلان

In an appearance on the 60 Minutes Jordanian television program, Najjar stated that the current rainy season is better than past seasons and has reached 70 percent of the long-term annual average. Additionally, the amounts of water stored in dams in the country are higher than last year, a local media outlet reported.

However, the rainy situation is not ideal in the governorates of Tafilah and Karak, but Najjar hopes that it will improve towards the end of winter.

DamsThere are currently 14 dams in Jordan with a total storage capacity of 280 million cubic meters, he added. Two of these dams (Al-Wehda and Mujib) are designated for drinking water storage, while the rest are used for industry and agriculture.

Najjar stressed that the numbers and information regarding rainfall are accurate and in line with the Meteorological Department. The numbers, he added, do not aim to validate the water agreement with Israel.


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