MAFRAQ (December 14) – Under the patronage of Minister of Water and Irrigation Dr. Hazem Al-Nasser, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Yarmouk Water Company inaugurated the $4.6 million rehabilitation of the Sumaya Pump Station and adjoining water network.

The rehabilitation of Sumaya Pump Station, originally built in the 1960s, has expanded the water supply for more than 180,000 residents in northern Jordan by replacing outdated equipment with modern technology, and the installation of over 85 kilometers of new pipelines has made water more available to the villages of Mughayer al Sarhan, Ruba’ al Sarhan, and Sama Al Sarhan. These efforts have reduced leakages in the pump station and water network by 40 percent.

“Residents of these areas have already begun to experience the impact of these improvements, with a full household water tank becoming a more common sight now than an empty one,” said U.S. Ambassador Alice G. Wells. “The repaired and modernized Sumaya Pump Station will make water more readily available for thousands of Jordanians and Syrians alike.”

Minister of Water and Irrigation Dr. Hazem Al-Nasser expressed appreciation for USAID’s contributions to the water sector, particularly in the wake of increased demand as Jordan hosts 629,000 registered Syrian refugees.

These activities fall under Community-Based Initiatives for Water Demand Management (CBIWDM), a USAID-funded project implemented by Mercy Corps. The program aims to balance the demand for water within communities with the available supply provided by the Yarmouk Water Company.