Optimizing Water and Energy Efficiency in Jordan: Challenges, Opportunities, and Sustainable Solutions for the Future

This study evaluates energy performance in Jordan’s water sector using a water–energy nexus perspective. It identifies operational inefficiencies, characterizes electricity-use patterns, and proposes feasible measures to improve water and energy management. The analysis follows a three-phase design. First, it compiles an energy profile for the northern governorates for 2007–2017. Second, it diagnoses barriers that limit energy-efficiency implementation. Third, it tests targeted energy-saving scenarios. Results show persistent inefficiencies driven by non-revenue water (NRW), aging infrastructure, and limited uptake of energy-efficient technologies. The sector’s energy use intensity (EUI) is 3.33 kWh/m3. This value exceeds reference levels reported for Germany (0.63 kWh/m3) and the United States (0.93 kWh/m³). NRW reaches 46% of total production (≈40 million m³). This loss amplifies scarcity and adds an avoidable energy penalty. Electricity consumption increases by 55% during 2007 2017 and peaks in 2016, which raises operating expenditure. The study prioritizes solar photovoltaic integration, pump efficiency upgrades, and improved operating practices to reduce unit energy demand. It also highlights enabling conditions. These include stronger data governance, access to capital, and supportive policy reform. The contribution is a consolidated, sector-specific diagnosis of the energy burden in Jordan’s water services, alongside implementable pathways to reduce cost, emissions, and supply vulnerability.