The 1st Application of “Green Concrete” in Jordan

USAID supported the construction of the Zara Ma’in water treatment plant (WTP) in 2007, one of the three major providers of potable water to Amman. This WTP has experienced corrosion of a concrete reservoir that holds reverse osmosis (RO) permeate prior to final conditioning as drinking water. In order to investigate and repair this corrosion damage, there was a need to construct a new RO bypass facility. The construction of the RO Bypass Facility increases the system's sustainability and flexibility, by enabling the WTP to remain operational during the period required for investigation and repair, thus sustaining a constant water supply of 45 million cubic meters to Amman (1.7 million people). In the case of the Zara Ma’in WTP RO Bypass, the design called for the addition of fly ash to support the use of green concrete; however, the Hazardous Material Committee—comprising the Ministry of Water & Irrigation, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Environment rejected using the fly ash. This rejection was based on the fact that fly ash had not been previously approved for use in Jordan, as well as a lack of information and understanding about its application in concrete at a drinking water plant. Through effective collaboration, targeted learning initiatives, and adaptive testing, the concerned ministries approved the use of Fly Ash. More is need to build upon this learning experience to ensure that future water projects will benefit from the enhanced safety, efficiency, and environmental sustainability that Fly Ash offers in concrete applications, but this is a solid first step.