The Project is related to the urgent remediation and prevention of future contamination of an approximately 100,000 m2 contaminated lagoon in the city of Russeifa. (15 km north-east of the capital Amman). Figure 2-1 shows a topographical map of the lagoon including main facilities within the walled area of the lagoon
The natural flow of storm water from Marka valley and the areas upstream of the current Lagoon location historically went through valleys uninterrupted until it reached the Zarqa River (north-east of the lagoon). Disposal of mining wastes and the urban development of the area caused blockage in the valley, and the Lagoon was created. With no other exits water has accumulated in the Lagoon as stagnant water
Over time, the lagoon has become heavily polluted with industrial and domestic sewage, debris, trash, and other contaminants. It also became a hazard for the surrounding areas due to odor and nuisances in addition to the problem related to safety, were several drowning incidents occurred before a permanent wire fence and later a constructed wall was installed to prevent such incidents. However, odor and pests continued to be major problems for the residents in the surrounding areas.
At the time of the project study, the accumulated water in the pond was about 450 m2 with average water depth is less than 2.0 m, which makes the volume in the pond nearly 1000 m3. The low level of stagnant water was due to pumping of retained water by GAM and the backfilling of part of the ponding area to eliminate health and environmental problems as a result of continuous complaints of the nearby residents.