All you need to do is to drive around the residential streets of Jabal Amman, around 3rd, 2nd, and first circles, and you’ll see it! Streams of water running down the streets… Water hoses out of their hiding and into the open, pumping water to wash cars, water plants, and, alas, wash pavements!
For those of you who don’t know, water distribution is rationed in Amman, so you basically get your water once a week. People have water tanks to store water for the rest of the week, but they still try to do everything that requires a lot of water consumption on the day the water arrives. So another example to look for is laundry hanging out of the balconies. Jordan's annual water allowance per capita is 200 cubic meters, 65% less than that available in Syria, and 85% less than Egypt. Yet even though people get very little water, they're not careful about how they use it.
I’ve always believed that people who use a hose to wash their car or the pavement should be fined. Period. We’re in Jordan – one of the ten most water-deprived countries in the world. There really needs to be a tighter policy regarding water usage. Police officers go around ticketing cars for wrong parking, so it shouldn't be hard for them to keep an eye on those who use a water hose to wash their cars, yards, or pavements. The use of hoses for domestic purposes should be banned. Use a bucket!
Now, of course, wrong practices and habits are not the only cause of water wastage. Some reports say that half of Amman’s water gets lost through leakages in the distribution network.
And, giant water parks should not be licensed. We can find other ways to attract tourism – thank you very much!
I’m not sure we realize the gravity of the problem. It’s just one of those things that pull a gloomy cloud over me every time I think about it, and that usually happens every Wednesday as I drive to the office and watch our dear neighbor perform his weekly ritual of washing the pavement with the hose. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll pick his brain over it.
For those of you who don’t know, water distribution is rationed in Amman, so you basically get your water once a week. People have water tanks to store water for the rest of the week, but they still try to do everything that requires a lot of water consumption on the day the water arrives. So another example to look for is laundry hanging out of the balconies. Jordan's annual water allowance per capita is 200 cubic meters, 65% less than that available in Syria, and 85% less than Egypt. Yet even though people get very little water, they're not careful about how they use it.
I’ve always believed that people who use a hose to wash their car or the pavement should be fined. Period. We’re in Jordan – one of the ten most water-deprived countries in the world. There really needs to be a tighter policy regarding water usage. Police officers go around ticketing cars for wrong parking, so it shouldn't be hard for them to keep an eye on those who use a water hose to wash their cars, yards, or pavements. The use of hoses for domestic purposes should be banned. Use a bucket!
Now, of course, wrong practices and habits are not the only cause of water wastage. Some reports say that half of Amman’s water gets lost through leakages in the distribution network.
And, giant water parks should not be licensed. We can find other ways to attract tourism – thank you very much!
I’m not sure we realize the gravity of the problem. It’s just one of those things that pull a gloomy cloud over me every time I think about it, and that usually happens every Wednesday as I drive to the office and watch our dear neighbor perform his weekly ritual of washing the pavement with the hose. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll pick his brain over it.
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