Jordan West Irbid Wastewater Project

Project Implementation Status

The project agreements (Loan, GCFF and EBRD SSF Grants) between EBRD, Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MoPIC) and Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI) were signed on 20 December 2017. The EU MADAD Grant was signed on 10 May 2018 and fully disbursed in May 2025. The grants from other donor sources (including GCFF) and the EBRD loan will be disbursed on a pro-rata basis.

EBRD-mobilised consultants completed a review of the Water Authority Jordan’s (WAJ) technical studies for the project in mid-2017 and carried out environmental and social due diligence.

The review concluded by proposing a revised technical solution to WAJ, which was accepted, and consequently the project cost increased to c. EUR 56.1 million. The financing of the project is now as follows: EBRD loan EUR 25 million; GCFF USD 2.5 million; EU MADAD grant EUR 19.6 million; and EBRD SSF EUR 5.9 million.

To fill the funding gap on this project, the Government of Jordan has approached EBRD to request additional loan financing of circa USD 30 million, in order ensure all the envisaged networks serving the 15 villages of the catchment area would be constructed and the households connected. The Government’s Debt Committee provided its approval for an additional USD 30 million loan in November 2023.

Project implementation continued across multiple packages between August and December 2025, though progress varied by location. In Package 3 (Qumaym, Jamha, and Kufr An), progress increased from 79.07% in August to 85.66% in December, with a total of 6 km of pipelines installed. Package 4 (Zahar, Jijin, and Kufr Rehta) moved from 86.35% to 89.40% over the same period, completing 15 km of pipelines. Meanwhile, Package 6 (Beit Yafa, Ham, and Natifa) advanced from 70.38% to 79.0%, delivering 12 km of networks. Additionally, Package 1 (Pumping Stations and Force Mains) officially began on December 6, 2025, reaching 1.04% progress by year-end.

Execution was significantly affected by challenging physical and environmental conditions. Contractors encountered unexpected issues such as unmapped utilities, underground cavities, and difficult soil conditions. Narrow roads and dense clusters of old buildings further limited access, forcing contractors to abandon faster excavation methods and rely on air compressors to avoid structural damage, slowing progress considerably. In several areas, physical encroachments, including rock chains and old water wells, obstructed planned pipeline routes.

Administrative and supply chain issues also contributed to delays. Municipalities withheld work permits due to a backlog of unreinstated roads, a situation worsened by a severe shortage of bitumen from the Jordan Petroleum Refinery that lasted from December 2024 to October 2025. Additional delays arose from the late delivery of key construction materials, including gabion materials and various manholes, which hindered installation works.

The timeline was further extended by regulatory changes and management-related challenges. The Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MPWH) introduced new road reinstatement requirements for Packages 3 and 4 as a condition for permitting. Greater Irbid and Bani Obaid Municipalities also enforced additional reinstatement requirements for roughly 11 km of roads in Natifa village within Package 6. Beyond these external factors, the project experienced delays due to slow land acquisition for pipeline routes and weak contractor management, particularly in coordination and communication during earlier phases.

Delays have been caused by pipe delivery issues, topographical constraints, and reinstatement works, though procurement and material approvals are nearly complete across all packages.

Extensions of time have been granted due to weather conditions and contractor claims, revising completion dates to January 2026 for Packages 3 and 4 and February 2026 for Package 6.

Financial progress reflects cumulative executed values of USD 10.39 million (Package 3), USD 10.58 million (Package 4), and USD 11.02 million (Package 6).

Safety and environmental compliance measures are in place for the project. Public complaints regarding road reinstatement have been received from individuals in the West Irbid local community, all of which have been raised to the appropriate departments within the Bank. These complaints have been addressed through coordination with municipalities and WAJ, and environmental monitoring continues. WAJ and the EBRD team continue to work closely to resolve any grievance issues that arise. The Bank’s Environment and Sustainability Department (ESD) has worked with the client to encourage contracting a social and gender expert to support stakeholder engagement and improve grievance handling.

Furthermore, a site visit was conducted by the project team and Bank’s Environment and Sustainability Department (ESD) colleagues in Q1 2025 to meet with local members of the community, the PIU and contractor, as well as WAJ. A social and environmental expert will support the contractor to address any grievance issues that arise. Contracting of this expert is underway.