The Jordanian Experience in Agricultural Use of Treated Wastewater ,By Ahmad Sobh, Land and Water Days in Near East & North Africa, 15-18 December 2013, Amman, Jordan

1. The Jordanian Experience in Agricultural Use of Treated Wastewater
By: Ahmad Sobh
Jordan is ranked among the most water-scarce countries in the world. The per capita
availability of water has been declining rapidly from 3600 m3 in 1946 to less than 145 m3
in 2011.
Although the actual available renewable water resources in Jordan are estimated at only
660 MCM, the water consumption by all sectors in 2012 is around 900 MCM of which
the Jordan’s agriculture alone consumes more than 57% of the total consumed amount.
The deficit in water (around 240 MCM), is being covered through over abstraction of the
highland aquifers beyond its safe yield capacity and exploitation of its fossil water.
In its quest to cope with water shortage, the governmental water strategy no longer
views wastewater as “a waste” but as an important renewable water resource that can
be treated and used in agriculture.
Currently, around 103 MCM of treated wastewater is used for irrigation. The amount
accounts for around 20% of total consumption of agriculture in Jordan. Most of this
quantity is used in unrestricted agriculture in the Jordan Valley. The Jordan Valley
Authority (JVA), the institution in charge of provision of irrigation water, save no efforts
to gradually substitute treated wastewater for freshwater in irrigation. The reliance on
treated wastewater use for irrigation will definitely free up more freshwater for other
purposes like drinking. In this context, the GIZ Water Programme supports the JVA in its
orientation toward the expansion in sustainable use of treated wastewater in the Jordan
Valley.
Despite of the political support it receives for its vital role in filling the mounting gap
between water supply and demand, the wastewater reuse encounters different
challenges that mainly lies in the public perception of treated wastewater use in
irrigation, the quality of this sort of water in terms of salinity and microbiological
contamination, and eventually, the quality of treated wastewater-irrigated crops. The
predetermined negative perception of the safety of crops which are produced using
treated wastewater is the main barrier for acceptance of the concept of water reuse by
the public.
To address the aforementioned challenges, the GIZ Water Programme has adopted a
multi-level approach for intervention. At institutional level, a comprehensive risk
monitoring and management system (RMMS) for all risks associated with treated
wastewater use, has been developed in line with the new 2006 WHO Guidelines for the
use of treated wastewater. The RMMS findings confirm that most risk management
measures, proposed by the 2006 WHO Guidelines, are already available in Jordan. The
effectiveness of these measures is further proved by the existing monitoring
programmes carried out on water, soil and wastewater-irrigated crops.

2. To verify the safety of the crops irrigated with treated wastewater, a State Crop
Monitoring Programme (SCMP) has been established. The programme which is
implemented by the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) in cooperation with
the JVA and the National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension (NCARE), serves
as a cornerstone within the national RMMS. The programme’ results for more than 4
years shows that the quality of treated wastewater-irrigated crops is in line with the
international standard and consequently, the water reuse is extremely safe practice in
the Jordan Valley.
At technical level, the GIZ Water Programme has been working on building the technical
capacities of farmers, JVA field staff and extension workers on safe and efficient use of
treated wastewater in irrigation. To this end, on-farm risk management training
modules for farmers and extension workers has been developed. The training modules
serve as an integral part of the RMMS. The capacity building aims not only to minimize
the negative effects of treated wastewater use but also to maximize the benefits from
nutrients contained in this irrigation water. In addition, awareness campaign has been
organized for local communities in the Jordan Valley to raise their awareness about
main aspects related to use of treated wastewater.
At legal level, in light of availability of almost all effective risk management measures in
the Jordan Valley whose effectiveness is also confirmed by the SCMP; the need arose to
develop a national standard for irrigation water including nonconventional water. The
development of national standard that takes into account the socio-economic situation
of Jordan will pave the way for wider use of treated wastewater in Jordan.