Aspects of life as a Jordanian: Water
This is the first in what I hope will be a series of posts that go into some detail about specific aspects of life as a Jordanian. Its about water. Enjoy...
Water is essential for life, and, in the Middle East, it is a scarce resource. Because of Jordan’s arid desert climate and its subsequently limited supply of freshwater, there are great restrictions on the amount of water that can be used by the people. Jordan currently uses 125% of its renewable freshwater supply annually. In addition, the majority of people (probably over 90%) do not have a steady supply of water to their house on demand. Rather, most people are equipped with large water tanks that sit on their roof. Generally, every three days a family’s water tank is filled from the regional and city water officials by central piping, which is then closed off until the next fill. Because of this limited amount of available water, people (especially larger families) must do everything they can to conserve and consolidate their water usage.
Two of the major ways that water must be conserved are in showers and toilets. Many people do not have the luxury of getting a shower every day, and, when they do, they are short and conservative. The pipes in the house do not accommodate large amounts of water pressure, which invariably cuts down on water usage. When necessary, many people can shorten shower time by getting wet and turning off the water to soap up then turning it back on to rinse off. As the demand for modern toilets has increased (a traditional “Turkish toilet” is just a basin in the floor that has a hole towards the back, which is “used” by squatting and is flushed when necessary by pouring water down the basin), so has water use, as every flush requires refilling the tank with a fresh cycle of water. It is difficult to assess the effect that this has had on overall water usage, but it can easily be inferred that this has only added strain to an already stressed and limited water supply. Drinking water is usually not taken straight from the tap. The quality of the water from the tap is not generally good enough to drink, because of the large amount of microbial bacteria and protozoans. For this reason, most people buy their drinking water pre-treated and bottled.
Despite this high demand and necessity for water, it is not abnormal to find it free-flowing in urban areas, especially Amman, the capital. This is because the water infrastructure is not entirely reliable, and has usually been constructed by local workers, as opposed to trained government or city officials. Often a pipe may burst, or could just be plagued by a reoccurring leak, which leads to usable water not reaching its destination and being lost. Unfortunately the water that is designated for personal use is rarely used to its full potential.
Water for irrigation for crops and gardens is also very important in Jordan. In addition to the locally grown fruits and vegetables that are available at the market, many people have their own personal gardens for food. Because of constraints in regards to water use, drip irrigation systems are very popular in Jordan. This is a much more efficient method of watering, because it provides a more direct flow to the roots, bypassing any potential loss of water (whether from evaporation or runoff). In addition, there are growing initiatives to utilize “grey water” for irrigation purposes, which is a fantastic way to create increasingly sustainable water systems.
Although Jordan is constrained by environmental conditions and an increasing social demand for a consistent water supply, there is a great potential for broad achievements in water conservation efforts and the development of more appropriate technologies to accommodate a growing population and facilitate a healthier lifestyle for increasingly more people. As they say, “necessity is the mother of invention” suggesting that, in the near future, countries such as Jordan could become forerunners internationally in the wise use of water resources.
Water is essential for life, and, in the Middle East, it is a scarce resource. Because of Jordan’s arid desert climate and its subsequently limited supply of freshwater, there are great restrictions on the amount of water that can be used by the people. Jordan currently uses 125% of its renewable freshwater supply annually. In addition, the majority of people (probably over 90%) do not have a steady supply of water to their house on demand. Rather, most people are equipped with large water tanks that sit on their roof. Generally, every three days a family’s water tank is filled from the regional and city water officials by central piping, which is then closed off until the next fill. Because of this limited amount of available water, people (especially larger families) must do everything they can to conserve and consolidate their water usage.
Two of the major ways that water must be conserved are in showers and toilets. Many people do not have the luxury of getting a shower every day, and, when they do, they are short and conservative. The pipes in the house do not accommodate large amounts of water pressure, which invariably cuts down on water usage. When necessary, many people can shorten shower time by getting wet and turning off the water to soap up then turning it back on to rinse off. As the demand for modern toilets has increased (a traditional “Turkish toilet” is just a basin in the floor that has a hole towards the back, which is “used” by squatting and is flushed when necessary by pouring water down the basin), so has water use, as every flush requires refilling the tank with a fresh cycle of water. It is difficult to assess the effect that this has had on overall water usage, but it can easily be inferred that this has only added strain to an already stressed and limited water supply. Drinking water is usually not taken straight from the tap. The quality of the water from the tap is not generally good enough to drink, because of the large amount of microbial bacteria and protozoans. For this reason, most people buy their drinking water pre-treated and bottled.
Despite this high demand and necessity for water, it is not abnormal to find it free-flowing in urban areas, especially Amman, the capital. This is because the water infrastructure is not entirely reliable, and has usually been constructed by local workers, as opposed to trained government or city officials. Often a pipe may burst, or could just be plagued by a reoccurring leak, which leads to usable water not reaching its destination and being lost. Unfortunately the water that is designated for personal use is rarely used to its full potential.
Water for irrigation for crops and gardens is also very important in Jordan. In addition to the locally grown fruits and vegetables that are available at the market, many people have their own personal gardens for food. Because of constraints in regards to water use, drip irrigation systems are very popular in Jordan. This is a much more efficient method of watering, because it provides a more direct flow to the roots, bypassing any potential loss of water (whether from evaporation or runoff). In addition, there are growing initiatives to utilize “grey water” for irrigation purposes, which is a fantastic way to create increasingly sustainable water systems.
Although Jordan is constrained by environmental conditions and an increasing social demand for a consistent water supply, there is a great potential for broad achievements in water conservation efforts and the development of more appropriate technologies to accommodate a growing population and facilitate a healthier lifestyle for increasingly more people. As they say, “necessity is the mother of invention” suggesting that, in the near future, countries such as Jordan could become forerunners internationally in the wise use of water resources.
posted by Aaron Berdanier at 10:10 PM Permalink
