- Details
-
Written by IRIN IRIN
-
Category: News News
-
Published: 26 March 2008 26 March 2008
-
Last Updated: 26 March 2008 26 March 2008
-
Created: 26 March 2008 26 March 2008
-
Hits: 5404 5404
Gaza's power woes have exacerbated the situation. When power is
limited, pumping sewage away from homes takes priority, leaving little
left over for treatment, Monther Shoblak, head of the Gaza Coastal
Municipalities Water Utility, told IRIN.
Why the problem?
During the years before the Oslo Accords of the 1990s, Israel built a
few treatment lagoons and plants in the Gaza Strip, though these plants
proved to be insufficient as they were smaller than needed, according
to the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA).
In 1967 the population of Gaza was 380,000 though now it is nearly 1.5
million, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
Also, over the years more households were connected to the sewage
network.
Development projects to improve the capabilities of the sewage and
treatment systems drawn up in the 1990s were hampered by the outbreak
of violence in September 2000 and a deteriorating security situation.
In 2005 projects which had been slowed down or put on hold were looked
at again, but faced problems following the Hamas election victory in
2006 and the subsequent international boycott of the Palestinian
Authority.
Also, the PWA had trouble finding private-sector bidders for tenders it issued due to the security situation.
Hamas's takeover of the enclave last year was met with an Israeli
embargo, limiting imports to mostly food and medicines. This has
affected the ability of aid groups, including the UN, the ICRC and CARE
International, to import equipment like pipes in sufficient quantities
on a regular basis.
A US project to improve the plant which serves Gaza City was completed
about 10 years ago and the new design was meant to handle some 32,000
cubic meters of sewage, though on the first day of operation it was
receiving some 35,000 cubic metres, a number which has since gone up.
Overloaded treatment plants
There are three sewage treatment plants in Gaza: one in Beit Lahiya in
the north, one near Gaza City, and one near Rafah in the south, which
is only a primary treatment lagoon and incapable of treating most of
the sewage it receives. In Khan Younis people still use septic tanks.
The overload on the Beit Lahiya plant led to the creation of a "great
lake" of effluent which occupies some 30 hectares and holds some two to
three million cubic meters of waste water, which UN and
non-governmental organization projects are currently working to slowly
drain.
In 2006 a smaller lake, which was used by the water utilities to hold
sewage and take pressure off the "great lake," collapsed, killing five
people in a torrent of filth.
Halted plans
Plans have been drawn up either to build new plants or improve existing
ones. Donors have been found in theory to finance most of the work,
although those involved in the projects say they are waiting for the
funds to fully materialize.
The plans for Beit Lahiya are in two parts. First, the "great lake"
must be emptied and the water re-treated, but this is being hampered by
import restrictions. The second part involves the construction of a new
treatment plant.
Work on the other plants are currently halted or moving at a snail's pace.
Experts said that in the best case scenario, which would include an
immediate about-face on the political front, it would take at least 15
years to have plants up and running which fully treat the Strip's waste
water, and many more for a full-fledged hi-tech system.
In the medium and short term, the goal is to continue to drain the Beit
Lahiya basins and work to at least partially treat all waste water --
though this too depends on the borders opening up and full donor
cooperation, along with the willingness of companies to bid on tenders.
Concern has also been raised that if the borders remain effectively
shut, and importing spare parts remains restricted, the treatment
plants will be capable of handling even less waste.
In the immediate term experts insist that the treatment plants have as
much power and fuel as needed to be able to at least function at their
current maximum capacities, and all equipment required should be
allowed into the enclave.
This item comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian news and
information service, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the
United Nations or its agencies. All IRIN material may be reposted or
reprinted free-of-charge; refer to the copyright page for conditions of use. IRIN is a project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.