Odeh Al-Jayyousi

Greywater reuse: towards sustainable water management

Abstract The aim of this paper is to assess the role of greywater reuse in sustainable water management in arid regions. Moreover, it intends to document the experience of greywater reuse in Jordan. Greywater (GW) is the water collected separately from sewage flow that originates from clothes washers, bathtubs, showers and sinks, but does not include wastewater from kitchen sinks, dishwashers, or toilets. Dish, shower, sink, and laundry water comprise 50–80% of residential wastewater. GW is used in groundwater recharge, landscaping, and plant growth. A case study on GW reuse in Jordan is presented to shed some lights on its role in sustainable water management. To operationalize this concept, water is viewed as an economic good and a finite resource that should be valued and managed in a rational manner. The study concludedthat current environmental policies should aim to control pollution and to maximize recycling and reuse of GW within households and communities. Decentralized GW/wastewater management offers more opportunities for maximizing recycling opportunities.

Brackish water desalination: an alternative for water supply enhancement in Jordan

This paper aims to assess desalination technologies for the utilization of desalinated brackish water in Jordan. Brackish waters in Jordan are viewed as a potential and viable resources to alleviate water scarcity and overcome water budget deficit. The evaluation of various desalination technologies was carried out using multi-criteria analysis. The criteria adopted for evaluation was based on technical, economic, and environmental aspects. Assessment of both quantity and quality of brackish waters were outlined. Inter-basin allocation of desalinated water was described as part of the emergency water plan in Jordan. The analysis reveals that reverse osmosis (RO) technology followed by electodialysis (ED) are ranked among the most appropriate.

Greywater Reuse in Urban Agriculture for Poverty Alleviation: A Case Study in Jordan

Abstract Although Jordan has a human development index higher than most developing countries, about seven percent of its population earns less than the international poverty line of one dollar (US

Multi-criteria analysis of non-conventional energy technologies for water desalination in Jordan

) a day. Furthermore, because of its scarce water resources and rapidly growing population, the poor, who are increasingly moving to cities, face growing food and water insecurity. This paper describes a pilot project that allowed the poor in Tufileh, Jordan, to reuse untreated household greywater in home gardens. The women of the community used small revolving loans to implement simple greywater recovery systems and set-up gardens. The project allowed the community to offset food purchases and generate income by selling surplus production, saving or earning an average of 10 percent of its income. Had the households used municipal sources for this supplemental irrigation, on average, they would have used 15 percent more water and had 27 percent higher water bills. Moreover, the project helped community members gain valuable gardening, irrigation, and food preservation skills. Women on the project report feeling more independent and proud because of the income they generated, the skills that they gained, and their enhanced ability to feed their families. An environmental impact assessment demonstrated that the quality of the untreated greywater was adequate, and the negative impacts on soil and crops were negligible. Nevertheless, this could change if greater volumes of greywater are reused. A follow-up project will increase greywater recovery, pilot simple treatment devices, and improve gardening practices and production.

An Analysis of Future Water Policies in Jordan Using Decision Support Systems

The gap between water supply and demand is widening in Jordan. Sound measures to overcome this gap are essential for sustainable water development. In this paper non-conventional energy technologies for water desalination are discussed. These include hydropower, solar, wind, and nuclear technologies. Using multi-criteria analysis, options were evaluated for best water uses considering water productivity and environmental sustainability criteria. It was concluded that hydropower and solar technologies are most effective for water desalination in Jordan. On the other hand, wind and nuclear technologies have low likelihood to be viable in the short term.

Capacity building for desalination in Jordan: necessary conditions for sustainable water management

Despite looming water shortages in Jordan, the country lacks a coherent water policy and has no recognized institutional mechan ism to create one. D urin g the last 30 years, this critical problem has largely been addressed by physical infrastructu re developm ent in the public sector and grou ndwater exploitation in the private. These efforts are not meeting the increasing dem ands of all competing sectors. This paper analyses possible future water policies in Jordan using decision support system s. An analytical hierarchy process is used to break policies in to compon ent parts, then synthesize and an alyse them in the context of constraints and scenarios in Jordan for the year 2010. The paper argues that Jordan mu st give priority to the efficient m anagement of water resources at the regional level. This includes institutional restructuring, new water pricing strategies, importation of water, and water desalination.

Evaluation of small home-use reverse osmosis units in Jordan

Water sector capacity building is conceived as a strategic element in sustainable water development and management. Capacity building consists of three basic elements: (1) an enabling environment with appropriate policy and legal framework, (2) an institutional development along with community participation, and (3) human resources development. This paper aims to assess the level of capacity building in water desalination in Jordan. It addresses the existing legal, institutional, research, and technical status with respect to water desalination in Jordan. A conceptual framework for viewing the water issues in Jordan is presented. This model consists of three components, namely, needs, technology, and institutions. A comprehensive review of Jordans needs in terms of research, information and training with respect to desalination are presented. Recommendations are outlined.

Scenarios for Public-Private Partnerships in Water Management: A Case Study from Jordan

Abstract This paper aims to evaluate the water quality of domestic RO units used in Jordan along with bottled and tap water. Analyses of the quality of water sources (RO, bottled and tap) and water cost are carried out. The methodology of this research is based on both lab experimental analysis and field survey of several RO units. It was concluded that all samples from the three sources are in compliance with Jordanian Standards. However, one type of bottled water and RO produced water are below the allowable limits with regard to all chemical properties. Tap water exceeds the allowable limit with regards to both total hardness and TDS, but is still below the allowable limits in case no better resource is available. However, with regard to pH and chloride concentrations, tap water is below the allowable limits. Based on quality and cost, it was found that RO produced water provides water within the allowable limits with a relatively reasonable price.

Evaluating the Role of Water Resources Development in Poverty Reduction: A Case Study from Jordan

The aim of this paper is to document the experience of public-private partnership (PPP) in the management of the domestic water sector in Amman city, Jordan. It also intends to reflect on the transformations in water management after the introduction of PPP using metaphors from ecology. Scenarios for water management are developed and assessed based on financial viability and political feasibility. Four scenarios for sustainable water development in Amman city are developed under two major drivers, i.e. importance and uncertainty. The scenarios developed in this paper are intended to illuminate possible ways that could affect the future of PPP for domestic water in Jordan. Based on document analysis, observations and lessons learned from ecology, scenarios for water management are developed. The process of building scenarios involves a number of steps, which include: (1) identification of focal issues and key decisions; (2) identification of key factors in the local environment; (3) listing and ranking driving forces by importance and uncertainty; (4) ranking driving forces by importance and uncertainty; and (5) considering implications. The outcomes under each critical uncertainty are assessed. Combinations of these outcomes will determine the general characteristics of each scenario. Lessons learned from the evolution of living organisms in nature, i.e. from innovation, growth, improvement and release, were utilized to characterize the water sector in Amman city after the introduction of PPP.

Greywater reuse: knowledge management for sustainability

Water resources development projects are often seen as means of economic growth. However, whether or not a person has access to resources required for survival depends less on absolute income than on relative income. It is argued that economic growth often raises the incomes of the wealthy faster than that of the poor. Even if all incomes were to increase at the same rate, the consequences would be much the same; i.e. the absolute gap between rich and poor would increase. For example, an annual 3 percent increase in the per capita income (the answer that Brundtland Commission on the Environment and Development proposed for global poverty and environmental problems). That would translate into a first-year annual per capita increase (in U.S. dollars) of