Ammon News - AMMONNEWS -Zarqa- The U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) CEO Dana J. Hyde and Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Abdallah Ensour inaugurated the start of operations at the expanded As-Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant today in Zarqa. The plant will provide Jordan with 133 million cubic meters of treated water per year – representing more than 10 percent of Jordan’s entire water resources. It is now one of the largest and most modern wastewater treatment plants in the Middle East, treating more than 70 percent of all wastewater produced in Jordan.
Funding for the expansion included a $93 million grant from MCC, representing about one third of the five-year, $275-million MCC-Jordan Compact. The Millennium Challenge Account-Jordan (MCA-Jordan) manages and implements the compact’s water and wastewater projects in Zarqa Governorate. The project was structured as a partnership between the public and private sectors, with MCC’s grant supplementing the Jordanian Government’s contribution, and private funds from the Samra Project Company (SPC) – a consortium formed by Suez Environment, Infilco Degremont Inc., and Morganti Group Inc. – and a syndicate of financiers led by the Arab Bank.
“MCC and MCA-Jordan are working together with the Government of Jordan to conserve the country’s critical water supply and improve the quality of water for families and business,” Hyde said. “Our partnership is an example of the strong U.S. commitment to the people of Jordan and the critical needs of the region.”
The plant also harnesses clean energy to produce electricity, and the project has employed approximately 1,500 people. By increasing the amount of treated water that is released into the Zarqa River, wildlife is returning to the river, and more clean water is available for irrigation to support farmers in the Jordan Valley.
In 2010, the U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the Government of Jordan signed a Compact with the goal to reduce poverty through economic growth in Jordan. MCC is an innovative U.S. foreign aid agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty. Once completed, MCC’s compact is expected to benefit approximately 3 million people in Jordan.
Learn more about MCC’s compact with Jordan: https://www.mcc.gov/where-we-work/program/jordan-compact.