Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Minister of Water and Irrigation Hazem Al Nasser Saturday announced the discovery of a new source of hot mineral water south of Amman "with unique natural features" that could be the hottest in the Kingdom and the region as well, according to the ministry's records.

Nasser said the new source of therapeutic water of 77 degrees celsius was unearthed during the ministry's exploration work to implement the new national water strategy 2016-2025 to secure "non-conventional" water sources to meet growing water needs.

The vital spring, with a capacity of 100cm per hour, was found during prospecting for deep-water reservoirs in the region extending from Qastal, south of Amman, to Hassa and down south to Shidiyeh.

The new discovery in the Qastal area south of the Queen Alia International Airport would be a tremendous potential to develop investments and tourism in the region, said the minister. The ministry, he added, had launched a series of strategic projects to secure mew water sources to provide additional water supplies of up to half a billion cm to the Kingdom's various areas.

"After drilling several wells at depths ranging between 900-1,200 metres in the area mentioned above, it became evident the existence of a unique and distinguished water source with a temperature of 77 celsius degrees and a salinity of about 3,000mg per litre. The water contains unique therapeutic minerals, plus its purity and is free of any microbiological content", he explained.

Nasser said Prime Minister Hani Mulki had directed the government to give utmost importance to bring "this investment into existence to be a highly competitive tourist and investment landmark, as it is located close to the airport, and will have a major impact to achieve comprehensive development in the region and new jobs".