Treaty of Peace
Between the State of Israel and the Hashmite Kingdom of
Jordan (26 October 1994)
Annex II
Water-related
Matters
Pursuant to Article 6 of the treaty,
Jordan and Israel agreed on the following articles on
water-related matters:
Article I:
Allocation
1. Water from the Yarmouk
River
a. Summer period - 15th May to 15th October of each
year. Israel pumps (12) mcm and Jordan gets the rest of
the flow.
b. Winter period - 16th October to
14th May of each year. Israel pumps (13) mcm and Jordan
is entitled to the rest of flow subject to provisions
outlined hereinbelow: Jordan concedes to Israel pumping
an additional (20) mcm from the Yarmouk in winter in
return for Israel conceding to transferring to Jordan
during the summer period the quantity specified in
paragraph (2,A) below from the Jordan River.
c. In order that waste of water will
be minimised, Jordan and Israel may use, downstream of
Adassiya diversion/point 121, excess flood water that is
not usable and will evidently go to waste unused.
2. Water from the Jordan River
a. Summer period - 15th May to 15th October of each
year. In return for the additional water that Jordan
concedes to Israel in winter in accordance with
paragraph (1,B) above, Israel concedes to transfer to
Jordan in the summer period (20) mcm form the Jordan
River directly upstream from Deganya gates on the river.
Jordan shall pay the operation and maintenance cost of
such transfer through existing systems (not including
capital cost) and shall bear the total cost of any new
transmission system. A separate protocol shall regulate
this transfer.
b. Winter period - 16th October to
14th May of each year. Jordan is entitled to store for
its use a minimum average of (20) mcm of the floods in
the Jordan River south of its confluence with the
Yarmouk (as outlined in Article II). Excess floods that
are not usable and that will otherwise be wasted can be
utilised for the benefit of the two parties including
pumping storage off the course of the river.
c. In addition to the above, Israel is
entitled to maintain its current uses of the Jordan
River waters between its confluence with the Yarmouk and
its confluence with Wadi Yabis/Tirat Zvi. Jordan is
entitled to an annual quantity equivalent to that of
Israel, provided however, that Jordan's use will not
harm the quantity or quality of the above Israeli uses.
The joint water committee (outlined in Article VI) will
survey existing uses for documentation and prevention
of appreciable harm.
d. Jordan is entitled to an annual
quantity of (10) mcm of desalinated water from the
desalination of about (20) mcm of saline springs now
diverted to the Jordan River. Israel will explore the
possibility of financing the operation and maintenance
cost of the supply to Jordan of this desalinated water
(not including capital cost). Until the desalination
facilities are operational, and upon the entry into
force of the treaty, Israel will supply Jordan (9) mcm
of Jordan River water from the same location as in (2,A)
above, outside the summer period and during dates Jordan
selects, subject to the maximum capacity of
transmission.
3. Additional water
Jordan and Israel will cooperate in finding sources for
the supply to Jordan of an additional quantity of 50 mcm/yr
of water to drinkable standards. To this end, the joint
water committee will develop, within one year from the
entry into force of the treaty, a plan for the supply to
Jordan of the above mentioned additional water. This
plan will be forwarded to the respective governments for
discussion and decision.
4. Operation and Maintenance
a Operation and maintenance of the systems on Israeli
territory that supply Jordan with water, and their
electricity supply, shall be Israel's responsibility.
The operation and maintenance of the new systems, that
serve only Jordan will be contracted at Jordan's
expense to authorities or companies selected by Jordan.
b. Israel will guarantee easy
unhindered access of personnel and equipment to such new
systems for operation and maintenance. This subject will
be further detailed in the agreements to be signed
between Israel and the authorities or companies
selected by Jordan.
Article II: Storage
1. Jordan and Israel shall cooperate
to build a diversion/storage dam on the Yarmouk River
directly downstream of the Adassiya diversion/point 121.
The purpose is to improve the diversion efficiency into
the King Abdullah Canal of the water allocation of the
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and, possibly, for the
diversion of Israel's allocation of the river water.
Other purposes can be mutually agreed.
2. Jordan and Israel shall cooperate
to build a system of water storage on the Jordan River,
along their common boundary, between its confluence with
the Yarmouk River and its confluence with Wadi Yabis/Tirat
Zvi, in order to implement the provision of paragraph
(2,B) of Article 1 above. The storage system can also be
made to accomodate more floods; Israel may use up to 3
mcm/year of added storage capacity.
3. Other storage reservoirs can be
discussed and agreed upon mutually.
Article III: Water Quality and
Protection
1. Jordan and Israel each undertake to
protect, within their own jurisdiction, the shared
waters of the Jordan and Yarmouk Rivers, and Araba/Arava
groundwater, against any pollution, contamination, harm
or unauthorised withdrawals of each other allocations.
2. For this purpose, Jordan and Israel
will jointly monitor the quality of water along their
boundary, by use of jointly established monitoring
stations to be operated under the guidance of the Joint
Water Committee.
3. Jordan and Israel will each
prohibit the disposal of municipal and industrial
wastewater into the course of the Yarmouk or the Jordan
rivers before they are treated to standards allowing
their unrestricted agricultural use. Implementation of
this prohibition shall be completed within three years
from the entry into force of the Treaty.
4. The quality of water supplied from
one country to the other at any given location shall be
equivalent to the quality of the water used from the
same location by the supplying country.
5. Saline springs currently diverted
to the Jordan River are earmarked for desalination
within four years. Both countries shall cooperate to
ensure that the resulting brine (?) will not be
disposed of in the Jordan River or in any of its
tributaries.
6. Jordan and Israel will each protect
water systems in its own territory supplying water to
the other, against any pollution, contamination, harm or
unauthorised withdrawal of each other allocations.
Article IV: Groundwater in
Wadi Araba/Emek Ha'arava
1. In accordance with the provision of
this treaty, some wells drilled and used by Israel along
with their associated systems fall on the Jordanian side
of the borders. These wells and systems are under
Jordan's sovereignty. Israel shall retain the use of
these wells and systems in the quantity and quality
detailed in Appendix 1, that shall be jointly prepared
by December 31, 1994. Neither country shall take, nor
cause to be taken, any measure that may appreciably
reduce the yields or quality of these wells and
systems.
2. Throughout the period of Israel's
use of these wells and systems, replacement of any well
that may fail among them shall be licensed by Jordan in
accordance with the laws and regulations then in effect.
For this purpose, the failed well shall be treated as
though it was drilled under license from the competent
Jordanian authority at the time of its drilling. Israel
shall supply Jordan with the log of each of the wells
and the technical information about it to be kept on
record. The replacement well shall be connected to the
Israeli electricity and water systems.
3. Israel may increase the abstraction
rate from wells and systems in Jordan by up to 9 mcm/yr
above the yields referred to in paragraph 1 above,
subject to a determination by the joint water committee
that this undertaking is hydrogeologi-
cally feasible and does not harm
existing Jordanian uses. Such increase is to be carried
out within five years from the entry into force of the
treaty.
4. Operation and maintenance
a.Operation and maintenance of the
wells and systems on Jordanian territory that supply
Israel with water, and their electricity supply shall be
Jordan's responsibility. The operation and maintenance
of these wells and systems will be contracted at
Israel's expense to authorities or companies selected by
Israel.
b.Jordan will guarantee easy
unhindered access of personnel and equipment to such
wells and systems for operation and maintenance. This
subject will be further detailed in the agreements to be
signed between Jordan and the authorities or companies
selected by Israel.
Article V: Notification and
Agreement
1. Artificial changes in or of the
course of the Jordan and Yarmouk rivers can only be made
by mutual agreement.
2. Each country undertakes to notify
the other, six months ahead of time, of any intended
projects which are likely to change the flow of either
of the above rivers along their conunin boundary, or
the quality of such flow. The subject will be discussed
in the joint water committee with the aim of preventing
harm and mitigating adverse impacts such projects may
cause.
Article VI: Cooperation
1. Jordan and Israel undertake to
exchange relevant data on water resources through the
joint water committee.
2. Jordan and Israel shall cooperate
in developing plans for purpose of increasing water
supplies and improving water use efficiency, within the
context of bilateral, regional or international
cooperation.
Article VII: Joint Water
Committee
1. or the purpose of the
implementation of this annex, the parties establish a
joint water committee comprised of three members from
each country.
2. The joint water committee will,
with the approval of the respective governments,
specify its work procedures, the frequency of its
meetings, and the details of its scope of work. The
committee may invite experts and/or advisors as may
required.
3. The committee may form, as it seems
necessary, a number of specialised subcommittees and
assign them technical tasks. In this context, it is
agreed that these subcommittees will include a northern
subcommittee and a southern subcommittee, for the
management on the ground of the mutual water resources
in these sectors
