Amman, July 29 (Petra) -- Water and Irrigation Minister, Raed Abu Soud, Wednesday signed an agreement with the operating company of the As-Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant for an additional expansion project, aimed at strengthening Jordan's water security and expanding the kingdom's capacity for reusing treated water.

According to a Water Ministry statement, Abu Soud said the $28 million project is backed by the U.S. government and will improve the plant's operational efficiency and increase its treatment capacity to keep pace with rising volumes of wastewater flowing from the Amman-Zarqa basin.

The signing ceremony was attended by Water Authority Secretary-General Sufian Batayneh and representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Amman.

Abu Soud said As-Samra is Jordan's "largest" wastewater treatment plant, which currently processes nearly 70% of the country's total wastewater. He said the plant plays a "central" role in protecting public health, reducing pollution and supporting the agricultural sector by supplying treated water for irrigation.

As-Samra was Jordan's first project built under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) system and remains one of the region's "most successful" public-private partnerships, he added.

The minister said the expansion will draw on "advanced solutions and innovative technologies" to boost the plant's capacity and generate additional volumes of treated water suitable for reuse.

As for its goals, the project is expected to support agriculture across thousands of hectares of surrounding land, ease pressure on Jordan's scarce freshwater resources and increase water flows into the King Talal Dam.

Scheduled for completion in 2028, officials say the expansion will advance goals of the Economic Modernization Vision by expanding reliance on non-conventional water resources, strengthening resilience to water challenges and supporting a more sustainable and secure water future for the kingdom.

//Petra// NQ