1. Risk Monitoring and Assessment for
Wastewater Reuse in Agricultureg
By: Rana N. Ardah
Royal Scientific Society
Jordan

2. Jordan’s Water Situation
Jordan is located in an arid to semi arid region,
around 90% of the country's land receives an average
precipitation of less than 100 mm/ year,
Around 85% of rain water evaporates yearly,
One of the four poorest countries worldwide in water resources,
Annual per capita share is around145 m3,
Population growth rate is about 2.9%

3. Jordan’s Water Situation
Sudden influx of refugees due to political instability in the
region,
Increasing demand on the limited fresh water sources,
Imbalance between the water demand and the available supply
of fresh water,
Increasing generation of wastewater quantities.

4. Jordan’s Water Situation
As 64% of the total water budget is being allocated for irrigation,
the importance of reusing reclaimed domestic wastewater for
irrigation emerged, since such water is considered to be an
important, renewable and non-conventional water resource in
Jordan, specially that the number of wastewater treatment
plants belonging to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI)
reached around (27) serving most of the villages and cities.

5. Political/ Legal Aspects
Therefore and based on the previously mentioned facts, MWI
has updated the national water strategy for Jordan to control
Strategy
and manage the use of all water resources according to
environmental and public health regulations with a great
emphasis on encouraging the (direct and indirect) use of treated
wastewater as one major resource in agriculture.

6. Political/ Legal Aspects
Water Strategy 2008-2022:
On resource development/ Jordan Water Strategy 12, it is stated
Strategy
that:
“Wastewater shall not be managed as "waste". It shall be
collected and treated to standards that allow its reuse in
unrestricted agriculture ….”

7. Political/ Legal Aspects
Water Strategy 2008-2022:
“… Appropriate wastewater treatment technologies shall be
Strategy
adopted with due considerations to economizing energy
consumption, and quality assurance of the effluent to be used in
unrestricted agriculture. Consideration shall be given to blending
of the treated effluent with fresher water for appropriate reuse”.

8. Political/ Legal Aspects
Water Strategy 2008-2022:
On health standards/ Jordan Water Strategy 38:
Strategy
“Concerns for public health and the health of workers shall be a
focus in the programs of reuse of treated wastewater.

9. Political/ Legal Aspects
Jordanian Standard for Reclaimed Domestic Wastewater
Quality No. (893/ 2006):
Thi t d d i d ith th lit i t th t
Standard
This standard is concerned with the quality requirements that
must be met in the reclaimed wastewater coming out of
treatment plants to be discharged to surface water or reused for
irrigation purposes.

10. Adaptation to Water Scarcity in the
Jordan Valley:
SWWTP
AMMAN
Irrigated with Freshwater
Irrigated with Blended WW
Irrigated with Brackish water

11. Adaptation to Water Scarcity in the
Jordan Valley:
The use of treated wastewater for irrigation purposes in the
Jordan Valley is INDIRECT
The existing binding regulations
y
There is no Jordanian standard for irrigation water quality (only
JS No. 893/ 2006)
FAO and WHO (1989) guidelines for irrigation water quality are
currently used

12. Adaptation to Water Scarcity in the
Jordan Valley:
The need for a Jordanian standard for irrigation water quality
arose,
Alignment with 2006 WHO
To pilot and strengthen adaptation capacity to water scarcity in
the Jordan Valley, WHO/ 2006 Guidelines for Wastewater Use in
agriculture had to be introduced,

13. Adaptation to Water Scarcity in the
Jordan Valley:
In this regard, a multidisciplinary working group named the
"Steering Committee for the Risk Monitoring and Management
Steps to align with 2006 WHO
g g g
System for the Safe Use of Treated Wastewater"; was
formulated, where it relied on the WHO/ 2006 guidelines
throughout its work;

14. Adaptation to Water Scarcity in the
Jordan Valley:
The committee worked in close cooperation with the German
International Agency (GIZ) on developing the final proposal of
Steps to align with 2006 WHO
g y ( ) p g p p
the "National Plan for Risk Monitoring and Management System
for the Use of Treated Wastewater in Irrigation for the Irrigated
Areas Upstream and Downstream of the King Talal Reservoir“;
The national plan was issued in November 2011.

15. Adaptation to Water Scarcity in the
Jordan Valley:
The committee recommended to have a Jordanian standard
for irrigation water quality,
Steps to align with 2006 WHO
g q y
Accordingly, a Jordanian standard for irrigation water quality
was drafted by the committee and proposed to the Jordan
Standards and Metrology Organization (JSMO) so as to be
reviewed and issued properly

16. WHO/ 2006 Guidelines
The new guidelines present a flexible approach of risk
assessment and risk management that can be applied under
Brief Description of 2006 WHO
g pp
local socio-economic conditions accompanied with strict
monitoring programs in order to protect public health and
environment.

17. WHO/ 2006 Guidelines
WHO/ 2006 guidelines require 6 to 7 log-unit-reduction on
fecal coliforms counts (E. coli is an indicator) from the source of
The corner stone of 2006 WHO
( )
wastewater and right prior to crop consumption.

18. Comparison between the old and new
WHO Guidelines
WHO Guidelines (2006)WHO Guidelines (1989)
E. coli threshold varies from 1000 to 100,000
MPN/100 ml depending on the set health-based
target
E. coli I 1000 MPN/ 100ml
Depend on a multiple-barriers approach
(Different Control Measures)
Depend on a single-barrier approach
(Only Wastewater Treatment Plant)
Provide an integrated approach that combines
risk assessment and risk management to control
water-related diseases (Stockholm Framework)
Do not provide feasible risk-management
solutions or guidance
Can be adopted according to the local socio-
economic conditions
Unachievable under local circumstances

19. The available health protection
measures in Jordan
Notes
Pathogen
reduction
(log-unit)
Control measure
The required pathogen removal to be achieved
by wastewater treatment depends on the
combination of health-protection control
1J6Wastewater treatment
measures selected
Root crops and crops such as lettuce that grow
just above, but partially in contact with, the soil.
2
Drip irrigation
(low-growing crops)
Crops, such as tomatoes, the harvested parts of
which are not in contact with the soil.
4
Drip irrigation
(high-growing crops)
Use of micro-sprinklers, anemometer-controlled
direction-switching sprinklers, inward-throwing
sprinklers, etc.
1
Spray/ sprinkler
drift control

20. The available health protection
measures in Jordan
Notes
Pathogen
reduction
(log-unit)
Control measure
Die-off on crop surfaces that occurs between
last irrigation and consumption. The log-unit-
reduction achieved depends on climate
0.5J2
per day
Pathogen die-off
(temperature, sunlight intensity), crop type, etc.
Washing salad crops, vegetables and fruits with
clean water.
1
Produce washing
with water
Washing salad crops, vegetables and fruits with
a weak disinfectant solution and rinsing with
clean water.
2Produce disinfection
Fruit, root crops.2Produce peeling
Immersion in boiling or close-to-boiling water
until the food is cooked ensures pathogen
destruction.
5J6Produce cooking

21. Mixing Ratio Study
Based on the foregoing, the Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) has
contracted the Royal Scientific Society (RSS) to conduct a study in
order to examine the possibility of mixing the treated wastewater
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coming out of Irbid Wastewater Treatment Plant (Eff.) with the
freshwater coming out of Wadi Al-Arab Dam (W.A.) and using the
mixed water for irrigation purposes to suit the agricultural patterns
(restricted & unrestricted) in the irrigated region. Such a study was
conducted in September 2009.

22. Mixing Ratio Study
The study consisted of two parts;
the first included the evaluation of the analyses results of the
blended water samples depending on the FAO and WHO/ 1989
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guidelines,
While the second part depended on the concept of the safe
use of treated wastewater from the perspective of the WHO/
2006 guidelines.

23. Mixing Ratio Study
Results:
The mixing ratio of (Eff.: W.A. = 4:1) was recommended, where
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this figure would mean the use of relatively large amount of
treated wastewater compared to the quantity of fresh water of
the dam, and thus conserve fresh water and strengthen
adaptation capacity to water scarcity.

24. Mixing Ratio Study
Recommendations:
Subjecting Irbid WWTP effluent for further processing (to
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minimize numbers of E. coli bacteria) prior to mixing it with
Wadi Al-Arab dam water and using the blended water for
irrigation purposes,

25. Mixing Ratio Study
Recommendations:
Or, developing a risk assessment and management system
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for the safe use of treated wastewater in agriculture, in order to
protect health and environment, following the steps outlined in
the study and with reference to the WHO/ 2006 guidelines,
which are less stringent than the previous guidelines (WHO/
1989).

27. Th k YThank You