decentralized wastewater treatment and reuse in...

Decentralized Wastewater Treatment

and Reuse in Institutions:

Mafraq Pilot in 3 Schools June. 1, 2019 – June. 30, 2019

RFP#: WASH/JOR/PCA2018178/PD2018188/2018/MIRRA/Mafraq

Seventh Progress Report

June 1,2019–June 30. 2019

Progress report - June 2019 - Decentralized Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in Institutions Mafraq Pilot in 3 Schools

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PROJECT FACT SHEET

PROJECT TITLE: Decentralized wastewater treatment and reuse in institutions

FUNDING

AGENCY:

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund

(UNICEF)

START DATE: December 1st, 2018

END DATE: August 31st, 2019

IMPLEMENTING PARTNER IN JORDAN:

Methods for Irrigation and Agriculture (MIRRA) - a Jordanian

non-governmental organization that specializes in the

development of water and agricultural sectors including

optimizing pressurized irrigation networks at the field and

network levels, wastewater reuse in agriculture and capacity-

building activities for individuals and institutions.

http://mirra-jo.org

CONTACT INFORMATION:

MIRRA Email [email protected]

MIRRA Mail P.O. Box 941454 Amman 11194 Jordan

Name of Organization Head Dr. Samer Talozi

Title of Head Chairman

Email of Head [email protected]

Phone of Head +962-795204154

Name of Progr. Focal Point Eng. Elham Al-Shurafat

Title Project Officer/Water and Environment

Email [email protected]

Telephone +962-779217409

http://mirra-jo.org/


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Contents

General Information ............................................................................................................................... 4

Section One: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 4

Section Two: Activities and Progress........................................................................................... 5

Section Three: Risks, Issues, and Challenges ........................................................................ 10

Section Four: Financial updates (if any) ................................................................................... 11

Section Five: Next Steps During July 2019 ............................................................................ 11


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General Information

Country: Jordan

Programme Code & Title: WASH/JOR/PCA2018178/PD2018188/2018/MIRRA/Mafraq

Project Code & Title: WASH/JOR/PCA2018178/PD2018188/2018/MIRRA/Mafraq

Responsible Officer(s): Alham Al-Shurafat

Workplan Code & Title WASH

Implementing Partner Name &

Code:

MIRRA

Project Name: Decentralized wastewater treatment and reuse in institutions: Mafraq

Pilot in 3 Schools

Project Period: From 1/12/2018 to 31/8/2019

Reporting period From 1/6/2019 to 30/6/2019

Report Submission date: 4/7/2019

Section One: Introduction

This project is a collaboration between MIRRA and UNICEF that works within the framework of decentralizing

most of the services in Jordan. This project focuses on sanitation and wastewater management by targeting

three schools in the Irhab district within Mafraq Governorate. Irhab district has a population of 23,874

residents, of which 2,970 are Syrians. The district is an agricultural area with no sewer network coverage

relying on cesspits for disposal of wastewater; Water needs for agriculture are usually met through the piped

water network that is supplied for domestic use. Alternatively, water trucking for agricultural purposes from

privately owned boreholes is also practiced.

The collaboration aims to pilot a new approach to wastewater treatment at a decentralized level within

institutions but also for communities to achieve the following objectives:

• Safe management of wastewater at a decentralized level to prevent groundwater pollution and to reuse

water for agricultural purposes.

• Greywater reuse to reduce the volume of fresh water consumption.

• Solar power as an alternative sustainable energy source for the operation of the WWT system including

the operation of the irrigation network.

• Increase awareness between students and teachers on the importance of water conservation,

environmental impacts of poor management of sanitation, and renewable energy as a sustainable

source to provide energy.


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Section Two: Activities and Progress

PROGRAMME OUTPUT 1: Solar powered decentralized wastewater treatment and greywater

reuse systems installed in 3 schools

Fence installation around the Automatic Irrigation System equipment

After the automatic irrigation system was installed at the Rehab Secondary School for Girls, a class A fence

was installed around the important parts of the automatic irrigation system. An iron box was also installed on

the control panel as is shown below, which aims to provide the necessary protection for the system and area

from sabotage, thus helping to sustain the system in the long term , thus, helping to sustain the system in the

long term. This system provides the required irrigation for plastic house, greenhouse and open irrigated crops

such as medicinal plants and various crops.

Figure 1: Class A fence around the integral parts of the automatic irrigation system.


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Irrigation of the 256 trees planted in the school

MIRRA has to do an irrigation event every 5 or 6 days in the boys’ schools due to the high temperature during

the month of June and because the decentralized wastewater treatment plant is still awaiting formal approvals.

All the trees that have been planted can bear the drought, but due to their young age, we are using irrigation

as a precautionary measure. The MIRRA team and school managers performed irrigation with the purchase of

an eight-cubic meter water tank. Because the irrigation system is surface irrigation, we needed to expand the

holes around the trees. The irrigation was done at evening just before sunset. During June, there were four

irrigation events, and they are reported in Table 1. Regarding the girls’ school, its irrigation system has already

been installed and MIRRA followed up with teachers regarding its operation during June who reported it is

working very well and efficiently. The irrigation will continue until the full installation of wastewater

treatment plants and the provision of irrigation network is complete. Approximately 200 different trees were

planted in Rehab Elementary School, Rehab Secondary School for Girls and Abdullah Bin Al Zubair School.

Table 1: Irrigation schedule of the trees in the schools during June 2019.

Day Date Irrigation time

Thursday 07/6/2019 2 Hours/ before sunset

Tuesday 15/6/2019 2 Hours/ before sunset

Sunday 20/6/2019 2 Hours/ before sunset

Friday 27/6/2019 2 Hours/ before sunset

Figure 2: A tank irrigating the planted trees in Rihab Schools.


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Starting the installation of the decentralized wastewater treatment plants in the schools

Work started on site to install the decentralized wastewater treatment plants (Figure 3) and the graywater

treatment and reuse systems (Figure 4) at Rehab Secondary School for Girls, Abdullah Bin Al Zubair School

and Rehab Primary School for Boys. The gray water lines were separated from the black water lines, and the

sewer lines were connected and delivered to the presumed location of the unit. In addition, some old damaged

lines have been replaced to improve system efficiency.

Figure 3: The starting of the decentralized wastewater treatment plants installations in Rihab schools.


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Figure 4: The starting of the gray water treatment and reuse system installation in Rihab schools.


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PROGRAMME OUTPUT 2: Improved practices of key WASH behaviors at home and school

through mobilization activities at school and surrounding communities

MIRRA received three interns from Jordan and abroad during Summer participating in the

project.

During June, MIRRA received Eng. Atheer Telfah a bachelor student from the Jordan University of Science

and Technology to perform her university compulsory training period. Atheer willbe trained on the various

components of the MIRRA-UNICEF project “Decentralized Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in Institutions.”

She is responsible for following up on the installations of the wastewater treatment plants, gray water treatment

and reuse, as well as the sanitation unit rehabilitation. She is also part of the soft training program for the

students and the various local community targeted groups during July and August 2019. She also will be

trained on water quality and soil quality measuring and assessment at MIRRA lab and in the field.

Figure 5: Eng. Atheer Telfah, an intern from the Jordan University of Science and Technology who is following the installations of

the wastewater treatment plans, gray water treatment and reuse as well as the sanitation unit rehabilitation in Rihab schools.

MIRRA welcomes summer intern Rachel Brooks from the University of Texas

at Austin. Rachel, a dual-master’s candidate at the University of Texas at

Austin, has joined the MIRRA office in Amman as a summer research intern.

Rachel specializes in international development and gender studies in the

Middle East through her coursework toward a Master of Arts in Middle Eastern

Studies and a Master of Global Policy Studies. She will be contributing to on-

going projects at MIRRA, including writing case study reports for publication

and performing site visits. MIRRA and the University of Texas at Austin have

a partnership through Dr. David Eaton and Dr. Samer Talozi, which allows

American graduate students to complete research in Jordan. Rachel is the third

student from the University of Texas at Austin to collaborate with MIRRA.

Figure 6: Rachel Brooks, MIRRA’s intern (Jun to Aug 2019) from the University of Texas.


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MIRRA received intern Eng. Tasnim Al-hrahsheh. a Master’s student in Water Resource Sand Environment

Engineering at the Jordan University of Science and Technology. For the UNICEF project, Tasnim is working

on local community engagement, advocacy, training and knowledge dissemination.

Figure 7: Eng. Tasnim (first from the left) while participating in a MIRRA training.

PROGRAMME OUTPUT 3: Effective and efficient programme implementation

• MIRRA proceeded with most tasks in the action plan according to the time schedule, but the

items regarding solar power installation are in hiatus until receiving official approval from

the Ministry of Education.

Section Three: Risks, Issues, and Challenges

• During the month of June, secondary school Tawjihi exams were held in the schools, and therefore it

was not possible to enter the main buildings in the schools during the working hours or to coordinate

any activities within the schools, whether with the students or the local community.

• Without the approval of JORISS, the Ministry of Education will not allow any conduct of any

measures related to the installation of the solar system and the sanitation systems in the schools. This

is may lead to some delay from the work plan. Also, other authorities may restrain from releasing

official letter or communication relevant to the project in general.


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Section Four: Financial updates (if any)

There are no financial updates.

Section Five: Next Steps During July 2019

• Completing all official papers, preparations and follow-up with UNICEF in order to obtain the

approval of JORISS and then document it with the concerned authorities, especially the Ministry of

Education to enable the installation of the Solar Systems and Sanitation Systems.

• Continuing the installing of the decentralized wastewater treatment plants, gray water treatment and

reuse systems.

• Coordination with the Ministry of Education and the Jordanian Company for Climate Consultancy to

get the approval to connect to the electricity network with Irbid Electricity Company.

• Completing the second phase of the soft activities, advocacy and building capacities program for the

local community and students.

• Starting the formulation of the sustainability plan and possible memorandums to sustain the project

beyond the due date.

• Completing the design of the remaining needed irrigation system using the treated wastewater.

7 abdelaziz Al-Tha’alibi Str., P.O. Box 941454 MOB.: +962779217409 Shmeisani Amman 11194 Jordan TEL.: +962(0)65687973

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