April 22, 2023 1

DRAFTAnalysis of Wastewater Management Sector in

PalestineNidal Mahmoud+ and Adel Yasin++

+Institute of Environmental and Water Studies, Birzeit University

++ Director of Sanitary Department/ Palestinian Water Authority PWA

April 22, 2023 2

Presentation Outline

• Background about past situation

• present situation• Challenge1:Water

Supply• Challenge 2: Fund• Challenge3: Israeli

Conditions• Challenge4: WWTP

Criteria

• Challenge5: Upgrade old WW Network

• Challenge 6: Effluent Disposal

• Challenge 7: Policy & Laws

• Challenge 8: Capacity Building

• Looking for the Future

April 22, 2023 3

The Past situation for wastewater system

During the occupation period, wastewater Sector used to be a very neglected issue

• There are collection networks in the main cities and refugee camp (served 28-32% of population) remaining population uses cesspits

• Many of these networks are old and poorly designed established before 1967 through Jordanian Administration and stayed without development

April 22, 2023 4

The Past situation for wastewater system-continued

• 40-50 MCM/Y of ww is generated, around 15 MCM/Y is collected by network then discharged into open areas (wadis)

• Around 400 locations for vacuum tankers for discharging ww

• There are very few un-functional wastewater treatment plant (94% of ww is discharged to wadies)

April 22, 2023 5

The Past situation for wastewater system-continued

• The un-treated Wastewater flows into the wadis

• Some farmers use the mixture of both untreated wastewater and spring water in irrigation specially in Nablus and AlFar’a area

April 22, 2023 6

No. Main cities %of ww services

Treatment services

1 Jenin 55 Not function

2 Tulkarem 75 Primarily stage

3 Qalqilya 70 No

4 Nablus 80 No

5 Salfit 80 On going

6 Ramallah 75 Low efficiency

7 El Bireh 88 High efficiency

8 Jerusalem 95 Under Israeli control

9 Bethelem 85 No

10 Hebron 80 On going

11 Jericho Zero No

Wastewater status in WB

April 22, 2023 7

Percentage of Households that Use Cesspits

Percentage of Households that Use Cesspits by Type of Locality and Region, 1997

(http://www.pcbs.org)

April 22, 2023 8

Status of WW management in Palestine !?

April 22, 2023 9

Israeli Colonies effects on the Environment

• Israel is controlling the Palestinians for 40 years but they did nothing to protect the environment

• Israel moved most of internationally forbidden industries to the West Bank and disposes all toxic effluents into Palestinian land without tratment

• 95% of the industry in the sraeli settlements is considered toxic & dangerous industries

April 22, 2023 10

Israeli Colonies effects on the Environment

Total effluent seawage discharged to the Wadis by Israeli Settlements is around 50 MCM

• Palestinian Agricultural lands around the settlements were destroyed by untrated effluent

April 22, 2023 11

Israeli Colonies effects on the Environment

the last 10 years, The Palestinians allocated 250Millin USD for WWT projects but the Israelis stopped us by one way or another

HOW!!!:• Security Areas• Connection of Illegal settlements• High Standards & Specifications

April 22, 2023 12

Existing and near future WWTP Projects

April 22, 2023 13

WW ProjectsNo.1 Treatment name Status

1 Existing Jenin TP Overload and not function

2 Proposed Jenin regional TP Needs fund

3 Proposed Tubas TP Needs fund

4 Proposed Nablus west TP Tendering process

5 Proposed Nablus east TP Needs fund

6 Existing Tulkarem ponds Pre-treatment

7 Proposed Tulkarem TP Design phase

8 Proposed Salfeet TP Waiting for notice to proceed

9 Existing of El-Bireh TP Function at 2003

10 Existing of Ramallah TP Overload

11 Proposed of Ramallah TP Preparing the feasibility study

12 Proposed Jericho TP Needs fund

13 Proposed Wadi Al-Nar TP Preparing feasibility study

14 Proposed Hebron regional TP Tendering process

15 Proposed Ad Dahrriya TP Needs fund

April 22, 2023 14

Regional Sewerage Project Jenin

• Project: Regional Sewerage Jenin• Total Investment:40 Million USD• Donor: Germany KFW• Start Implementation: not yet • Period of Implemntation: • Status: TOR prepared needs approval from JWC• Obstacles: Feasibility study could not be

tendered before approval

April 22, 2023 15

Regional WW Disposal Tulkarm

• Project: Regional Sewerage Tulkarm

• Total Investment:45 Million USD

• Donor: Germany-KFW

• Start Implemntation:2008

• Period of Implemntation: 3 years

• Status: Feasibility Study ready

• Obstacles:

April 22, 2023 16

Sewerage Nablus West

• Project: Sewerage Nablus-west (investment/Infrastructure restortion Measures

• Total Investment:• Donor:Germany -KFW• Start Implemntation:1998• Period of Implemntation: 37.8 Million USD• Status: Final Design ready• Obstacles:

April 22, 2023 17

Ramallah Sewerage Treatment Project

• Project: Ramallah Sewerage Treatment

• Total Investment:

• Donor: Germany KFW

• Start Implemntation:Not yet

• Period of Implemntation:

• Status: Feasibility study Ready

• Obstacles: TP Location

April 22, 2023 18

Al-Bireh Wastewater Treatment Plant

• Project: Sewerage Al-Bireh• Objectives• Total Investment: 12 Million USD• Donor: Germany - KFW• Start Implemntation:1998• Period of Implemntation: 2.5 Years• Status: Functional TP• Obstacles:

April 22, 2023 19

Salfeet Sewerage

• Project: Sewerage Salfeet (investment/Infrastructure restortion Measures

• Total Investment:11 Million USD• Donor: Germany KFW• Start Implemntation: 1995• Period of Implemntation: • Status: postponded• Obstacles:JWU approval

April 22, 2023 20

Hebron WWTP

• Project:

• Total Investment: 45 Million USD

• Donor: USAID

• Start Implemntation: Not Yet

• Period of Implemntation:

• Status: Postponded

• Obstacles: Regulation of USAID

April 22, 2023 21

Jericho WW collection System

• Project:• Total Investment: () Million USD• Donor: JICA• Start Implemntation: Not Yet• Period of Implemntation: 3 years• Status: Feasibility Study is Ready• Obstacles: Location of WWTP, JWC

Approvement

April 22, 2023 22

Abu-Dis WW collection System

• Project: Abu-Dis, Al-Izarita & Az-Zaim WW

• Total Investment: (25) Million USD

• Donor: Submitted to AFD

• Start Implemntation: Not Yet

• Period of Implemntation:

• Status: Obstacles: Not Funded yet

April 22, 2023 23

Despite all what have been done, still huge efforts are needed to properly manage the wastewater in Palestine

April 22, 2023 24

Challenges1: Water Supply Priorities

• Providing drinking water systems takes the priority where still more than 220 thousands in around 220 communities without networks

• Chaleenge2: Raising huge amount of fund to improve

WW sector services more than billion US Dollar are needed

April 22, 2023 25

Challenge2: Limitation of fund and donor regulations and

requirements• Challenge3: unsustainability & stability of

External Donation

Donor funds only to have sustainable & sanitation infrastructures, PWA policy and strategies should carefully considers the affordability of beneficiaries to pay for this service

April 22, 2023 26

Challenges

Israeli conditions through JWC that affect, postponds, stop projects for unreasonable aspects

• Connection of illegal Israeli Settlement effluent to Palestinian Sewerage Systems

• Specifications and standars of effluents and treated ww imposed by Israelis

• Security aspects

April 22, 2023 27

Challenges

• Challenges4: selection of Appropriate treatment systems and technologies

that leads to WW management driving forces and treatment technologies that achieve specific criterias by utilizing all type of technologies that help to minimize the running cost, example: produce gas CH4, incineration of sludge and available solid waste

April 22, 2023 28

Driving Forces for WW Management

• Public health risks: waterborne diseases• Environmental protection: water resources and

soil• National and regional policies: standards and

guidelines• Adequate sanitation services: life quality

standards• Economical benefits: reuse and recreation• Political issues: regional stability

April 22, 2023 29

Criteria for WWT selection• Satisfactory treatment efficiency towards: COD/BOD, suspended

solids, N, P, etc. • Robust technology: high stability towards power cut, peak loads,

toxicants, etc. • Flexible with respect to future amendments (extensions,

improvement) • Simple in operation maintenance and control • Limited number of treatment steps • Absence of disposal problems (e.g. sludge) • No malodour nuisance • Availability of local experience • Designed for (by) product recovery

April 22, 2023 30

Challenges

Challenge 5: Upgrading of the West Bank old urban sewage works

• Odor nuisance:

-Overloaded pond systems

-Misconception in design

• Land availability:

- No space for extension

April 22, 2023 31

Challenge 6: Final effluent disposal

Reuse in agriculture: where, this was one of the main target of Master Plan started in 1996

• Treated ww recycling and reuse is considered a very important option for generating additional water resources to replace fresh water used for agricultural and industrial purposes

Artificail Recharge through Disposal final effluent in Wadis: environmental impact; compliance with political agreements

April 22, 2023 32

Challenge 7: Enforcement of policy and laws

PWA policy:• Based on “Polluter Pays Principle” and

envisages a full cost recovery based on affordability basis, water-tariff models should be developed to assure cost recovery

Palestinian Water Law:• - Set of regulations and rules entailing pollution

fees for environmental pollution handlings

April 22, 2023 33

Challenge 8: Capacity building

• Building and maintaining a core staff for managing and regulating the wastewater projects: review of documents and formulation of future plans

• Prepare for all training and capacity building program that required to support sustainable operation of the WWTP, and to achieve value from reuse of the treated wastewater.

April 22, 2023 34

Look into the FutureSustainable planning of WWTP

WW treatment facilities

• Realistic planning and management?

• Affordable CAPEX and OPEX?

Political issues

• Sovereignty?

• Political power?

• Commitment?

April 22, 2023 35

Look into the FutureSustainable Operation Small

WWTPFinancial Resources • Effective financial management• Socio-cultural aspects• Public awareness and cleaner production tools Institutional issues• Establishment of wastewater associations? • Private sector involvement in sanitation services• Pollution control & reuse guidelines?• Water quality & public health protection?