Announcement of Jordan to Improve Water Supply Services to Eight Cities on May 29, 1984

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A. WORLD BANK NEWS RELEASE NO. 84/80 Contact: Fawzi Rihane May 29, 1984 (202) 477-5325 JORDAN IMPROVES WATER SUPPLY SERVICES TO EIGHT CITIES Some 136,000 people in eight cities in Jordan are expected to benefit from a water supply and sewerage project supported by a $30 million World Bank loan. A major priority of the project is the rehabilitation and expansion of water distribution systems for the cities of Ramtha, Mafraq, Anjara, Ajloun, Ein Janneh, Kufrinja, Madaba and Ma'an. The project will also include the construction of about 110 kilometers of trunk and distribution water mains. Its total cost is $65.7 million. old, undersized sections of the systems will be replaced with lines that can handle a higher, steady water pressure. This will eliminate the danger of contamination from polluted groundwater. New sewerage facilities will be built in densely populated areas of the same cities to replace the old cesspool systems. Once treated, the effluents will be of high enough quality for use in irrigation. Technical assistance provided by the project will help the country's newly created Water Authority to develop technical and financial capabilities to the long-term benefit of water resource management in the country. The World Bank loan is for 15 years, including three years of grace, with a variable interest rate, currently 10.08 percent, linked to the cost of the Bank's borrowings. It also carries an annual commitment charge of 0.75 percent on the undisbursed balance and a front-end fee of 0.25 percent on the amount of the loan. Note: Money figures are expressed in U.S.. dollar equivalents.