Jordan’s Ministry of Water and Irrigation has signed a four-year management contract appointing Veolia to operate Yarmouk Water Company, the public utility serving the country’s northern governorates. The contract places the French water services group in charge of operations and maintenance under a performance-based framework, with implementation scheduled to begin in early April.
The agreement, which is renewable for up to two additional years, covers water and wastewater services the four Northern Governorates of Jordan: Irbid, Ajloun, Jerash and Mafraq. According to the Ministry, the contract is designed to strengthen service reliability, operational efficiency and institutional performance in a region facing acute water stress. The initiative is supported by the United States government and aligns with Jordan’s National Water Strategy 2023–2040 and the Economic Modernization Vision.
Working alongside Yarmouk Water Company, Veolia aims to strengthen operational performance, improve service quality, and support Jordan's efforts to build a more resilient water system
Under the management scope, Veolia will oversee day-to-day operations, maintenance activities and internal systems, while working alongside Yarmouk Water Company teams to improve governance, workforce development and monitoring against defined performance indicators. The service area spans nearly 30,000 km² and serves approximately three million people.
“This management contract represents an important step toward improving water and wastewater services across the four Northern Governorates of the Kingdom,” said Eng. Raed Abu Al-Soud, Minister of Water and Irrigation. “By strengthening operational capabilities and utility performance, the partnership will support more reliable and sustainable service delivery for citizens, in line with the National Water Strategy 2023–2040.”
Veolia highlighted that the contract builds on its long-standing involvement in Jordan’s water sector, which includes the Disi–Amman Operation and Maintenance company, supplying 117 million m³ of drinking water every year, and the As-Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant, a Build-Operate-Transfer contract producing more than 130 million m³ of treated wastewater every year, entirely reused for agricultural irrigation. Philippe Bourdeaux, Executive SVP Africa, Near and Middle East Zone at Veolia, stated: “By working alongside Yarmouk Water Company, we aim to strengthen operational performance, improve service quality for customers, and support the country’s efforts to build a more sustainable and resilient water system.”
Officials from the Water Authority of Jordan confirmed that preparatory measures have been completed to ensure operational readiness ahead of the contract’s launch, with expected outcomes including reduced non-revenue water, improved financial stability and enhanced customer service performance.
