Opening pilot plant for water treatment at Baq'a, Jordan

Ambassador of NL, Mr. Scheltema and the SG of WAJ, Mr. Khuliefat at the opening.

The inhabitants of Baq'a depend for their water supply largely on groundwater that is extracted from the iron-rich sandstone layers at depths up to 250 m. Over the years many of the wells had to close down due to the deteriorating quality of the pumped water. The quality problems are mainly due to the high iron content and associated high turbidity levels.

A demonstration plant has been constructed to investigate the best treatment in order to make this water fit for human consumption. One of the existing wells put out of operation some years ago due to high iron levels has been reactivated for the water supply. The pilot plant has been designed such that it can operate in two different modes of iron removal. During the first months of operation each production line of the plant will operate in a different removal mode. The selection of the optimum treatment approach will then be based on the efficiency of the treatment and the production costs. The plant will subsequently continue to operate in the selected treatment mode and the quality of the water will be monitored continuously to ensure that the produced and treated water meets the WHO drinking water quality guidelines. The monitoring includes parameters, such as iron, turbidity, pH, etc. of the raw and treated water in particular, as well as regular check-ups on the major inorganic components. The net capacity of the pilot plant will be sufficient to supply enough water for about 4000 inhabitants of Baq'a. If the pilot appears successful, it will serve as a blue-print for new treatment plants to be established in regions with iron and turbidity problems.

Baq'a Water Treatment Pilot Plant

The project is a joint effort of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation of Jordan, the Water Authority of Jordan and the UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands. Master of Science students in Jordan will be involved in the research on iron removal. The staff of the local Water Authority, responsible for the operation of the plant will receive additional training. The installation of the demonstration plant was constructed in Jordan based on Dutch technology and the civil works were carried out by a local contractor. The project is financed by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the frame of the activities of EXACT. The demonstration-scale water treatment plant was officially opened on 12 October 2004 by the Netherlands Ambassador in Amman, Mr. Scheltema and the Secretary General of the Water Authority Jordan (WAJ), Mr. Khuliefat.