PHOTO 1
With an annual rainfall of less than 8 inches per year and desert covering more than 75 percent of its area, Jordan's demand for water is projected to exceed supply by 53 billion gallons per year by 2020.

PHOTO 2
The purple pipes in this view of urban landscaping on "Environment Street" in Amman are a standard sign of reclaimed water use.

PHOTO 3
RIAL team members conducted a public education campaign featuring a newly-created cartoon character, Tartoush (the Arabic word for "Splash"), who is decorated on backpacks, pens, jigsaw puzzles, coloring books, and other items to remind schoolchildren to "keep our water clean."

---

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

In few places is water scarcer-or more valuable-than Jordan, in the heart of the Middle East. Receiving average annual rainfall of less than 8 inches and with desert covering more than 75 percent of its area, this fast-growing, arid nation's demand for water exceeded its supply by 150 billion gallons in 2005. Water scarcity threatens public health, caps economic development, and limits future possibilities. Every drop counts.

To meet these water challenges, Jordan has set a goal of 100-percent reuse of wastewater. The pioneering 3-year Reuse for Industry, Agriculture, and Landscaping (RIAL) project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by CDM, provides models for reuse application that can be replicated throughout Jordan.

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH

• Comprehensive solutions to a nationwide challenge. CDM developed precedent- setting water reclamation projects that address agricultural development, industrial applications, and urban landscaping, delivering an effective, integrated approach that provides water reuse models nationwide.
  
  
  
  • Industrial improvements: CDM implemented various water- and money-saving measures at five industrial facilities: a petroleum refinery, mining site, clothing factory, dairy, and beverage plant. Planned future improvements include a centralized industrial wastewater treatment plant that will reduce energy consumption, conserve water, and recycle 300,000 gallons of wastewater per day.
    
    
  • Agricultural development: CDM created three sites to show farmers, students, the public, and visitors from neighboring countries the benefits of water conservation and reclamation:
    
    
    
    • Irbid, near the Jordan University of Science and Technology, where students now appreciate the benefits of
      reclaimed water.
      
    • Wadi Mousa, where 40 farmers and their families use reclaimed water to grow food for livestock and sell the extra fodder, improving their standards of living.
      
    • Aqaba, on the Red Sea in an area targeted for economic growth, where fruit and landscaping plants are grown and sold as an example of beneficial reclaimed water use.
      
    
    
  • Urban landscaping: In Amman, Jordan's capital, CDM transformed a barren, high-profile area into a park. Irrigating the plants with reclaimed water saves 13,200 to 26,400 gallons of fresh water daily and educates the public about reclaimed water.

QUALITY

• Immediate industrial environmental improvements and cost savings. CDM helped to reduce freshwater demand by more than 30 percent and increase wastewater recycling by more than 75 percent at five industrial facilities, conserving more than 150 million gallons of water annually. Stricter pollution prevention measures implemented at these facilities led to annual savings of $3 million through reduced water, fuel, and chemical consumption.
  
  
• Setting an example. USAID judged the RIAL project so successful at improving public perception and use of reclaimed water-while considering cost, efficiency, and sustainability- that it now serves as the model for similar programs in other countries.

ORIGINALITY AND INNOVATION

• A groundbreaking effort. No other water reuse program in the Middle East has as wide a scope. The program is unique for its nationwide, watershed-based approach; collaboration between government and business; and extensive community involvement.
  
  
• Underground irrigation innovation. CDM developed a first-of-its-kind approach to underground irrigation by bundling water pipes inside overflow pipes to prevent root blockages, a common problem caused by dry conditions. To ensure this solution remains freely available, CDM chose not to patent the innovative approach.
  
  
• Organizations established for future efforts. CDM established Jordan's Industrial Knowledge Center-a database of water reuse case studies and best practices that explain environmental management and pollution prevention concepts. CDM also helped found Jordan's first Reclaimed Water Users Association, whose members will ensure ongoing operations and maintenance of irrigation infrastructure.
  
  
• Rewards for continued improvements. CDM implemented the first-ever national award from the Ministry of Environment for environmental performance to raise awareness of and encourage future industrial environmental improvements.
  

COMPLEXITY

• A single program to address diverse and far-reaching water challenges. CDM addressed a variety of complex water use challenges at multiple locations:
  
  
  
  
  • The industrial project increased wastewater reuse, decreased freshwater demand, and reduced effluent at five of the country's largest industrial water users.
    
    
  • The agricultural direct water reuse project included three separate locations-each with different crops and conditions, resulting in increased standards of living and public acceptance.
    
  • The urban landscaping project created a visible example to increase awareness and demonstrate benefits of reclaimed water, while beautifying public space and saving fresh water for domestic use.
    
  
  
• Diverse stakeholders unite to achieve a common purpose. CDM's projects prompted a wide range of stakeholders to agree on common goals that will benefit everyone. These groups included the ministries of Environment, Education, and Industry and Trade; Water Authority; several industrial estates; universities; public schools; farmers; and other public and private groups.
  

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ADVANCES

• An increased standard of living. In Wadi Mousa, farmers saved water and prospered by irrigating with reclaimed water, which has allowed farmers to cultivate crops beyond the rainy winter season. In just 1 year, the program expanded from 14 farmers working 84 acres to 40 farmers working 145 acres. Crop yields more than doubled, and farmers' monthly income increased from less than $100 to more than $300, supporting local economic development and community well-being. Because 6 of the 40 farmers are women, the project further improves the livelihoods of a traditionally disadvantaged population.
  
  
• Citizen education and involvement. To educate people about the benefits of reclaimed water, the team distributed more than 12,000 copies of educational and promotional material, such as newsletters, posters, and coloring books for children; provided reader-friendly signage at demonstration sites; and built a public awareness center to increase acceptance and safe use of reclaimed water.
  
  
• Demonstration to participation. In Amman, a site along the new "Environment Street" uses reclaimed water for landscape irrigation, greening 20 acres of the city with 85,000 trees and plants. The project began simply as landscaping, but residents so enjoyed the flowering and greenery that they began using the space as a park. CDM responded by posting informational signs, distributing fact sheets, and shifting irrigation schedules to accommodate and educate residents.