In 1998, operations came to a halt at the Salt Springs WTP in Salt, Jordan due to a water contamination problem. U.S. officials said the springs that supply the water to the plant, Hazeer, Baquiriya and Shuray, were contaminated with the bacteria, fecal coliform, along with cryptosporidium and giardia. 

The presence of fecal coliform bacteria in aquatic environments indicates the water has been contaminated with the fecal materials produced by man or animals. Such organisms can cause intestinal infection, dysentery, hepatitis, typhoid, cholera and other illnesses.

Siemens MEMCOR® Continuous Microfiltration System was chosen as the new “state-of-the-art” membrane filtration system to filter the organisms from the water. The plant was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID