AMMAN - The Ministry of Environment will float a tender later this month to establish an olive vegetable water (OVW) processing plant in a bid to protect the soil and water resources from pollution.

The plant will help curb environmental problems caused by OVW, a liquid generated in the olive-pressing process which contains large quantities of organic matter, solid material and oil that are difficult to treat and pose a danger to the Kingdom's environment and public health.

"The Ministry has signed an agreement with the Jordan University of Science and Technology for establishing the plant at its campus. This will enable the ministry to benefit from the university's expertise in this field and provide students with a hands-on-training in advanced treatment techniques," ministry spokesperson Isa Shboul told The Jordan Times on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Minister of Environment Khalid Irani said in a statement the plant is part of the Olive Oil Pressing Industries Programme, which was launched in 2005 to introduce an integrated waste management system for the olive oil sector in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

OVW is an environmental threat in many parts of the world. Many countries have restrictions against dumping agricultural waste products into city sewers or streams and rivers, according to www.oliveoilsource.com.

Most areas allow a certain amount to be sprayed back into the orchard if it doesn't impact the water supply. The vegetable water contains valuable trace elements and potassium and phosphorus, as well as organic compounds, according to the website.

"The JD500,000 EU-funded plant will be also established at the university because 90 per cent of the country's olive mills are concentrated in the north," Irani said, adding that the treated water will be used for agricultural purposes.

The country's 105 olive mills produce 200,000 cubic metres of OVW annually. The ministry decided to establish the plant after studies concluded that OVW harms the environment as it contains chemicals that pollute water resources and the soil.

Ministry of Agriculture figures show that 1.250 million dunums in the Kingdom are planted with olive trees, and the sector produces some 253,000 tonnes of olives annually.