Water in Gaza: Scarce, polluted and mostly unfitfor use

17 August 2020

Some two million Gazans su�er from a constant shortage ofwater, which gets worse in summer. The tap water is salty andpolluted and is not fit for drinking. In the absence of otheralternatives, residents are forced to use this water for bathingand washing, yet the supply is irregular and unpredictable. Fordrinking and cooking, they no choice to buy water privately –despite severe financial hardship – and even then it is usuallysubstandard.

The shortage of water in the Gaza Strip and the substandardquality of tap water have been known for years. The coastalaquifer, which Gaza relies on as its only water source, hasbeen polluted by over-pumping and wastewatercontamination. As a result, 96.2% of household water from theaquifer is non-potable. Moreover, about 40% of the domesticwater supply is lost on the way to consumers because of

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L fl t

I feel like it’salmost

sewage, noteven fit foranimals to

drink.From Buthaynah Abu

Ghaben's testimony.

Gaza’s outdated infrastructure. Due to irregularities in supply,residents have to stock water in containers in their rooftops touse on days when the supply is cut o�. The power supply inGaza is also intermittent, and often does not come on at thesame time as the water supply. This limits residents’ ability tooperate pumps to fill up the containers. Families that do notget a chance to pump water to the roof before the powersupply runs out find themselves with no running water.

The low quality and limitedsupply of water forceGazans to purchasedesalinated water fromprivate vendors, mostly fordrinking and cooking butalso for other purposes.Much of the purchasedwater is polluted, too.

The World HealthOrganization has set theminimum requirement fordaily per capita waterconsumption at 100 liters.This amount should coverbasic domestic needs suchas drinking, bathing,cooking, and washing. In Gaza, average daily per capitaconsumption is only 88 liters ; in Israel, by comparison, it ismore than 200 .

Much has been written about the water crisis in the Gaza Stripunder the Israeli blockade, about Gaza’s collapsinginfrastructure and about Israel’s responsibility for creating thissituation. Here, we share the stories of five Gazans who live inthis unbearable reality. They describe their constant pursuit ofwater, the e�ect of the salty water on their physical and mentalhealth and on their belongings, and the financial burden ofbuying water they can barely a�ord.

The following testimonies were given to B’Tselem fieldresearchers Khaled al-‘Azayzeh and Olfat al-Kurd.

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Leaflet

Sometimes Istay up all

night and waituntil the power

and watercome on to fillthe containers.

Buthaynah Abu Ghaben (44), a married mother of sevenfrom a-Shati’ Refugee Camp in Gaza City:

We have three sons and four daughters, ranging in age from 10to 23. We’re both unemployed and live o� a stipend of 1,500shekels (~440 USD) a month in a small 45-square-meterhouse. The water shortage here in the camp is severe. Thewater is so salty that you can’t even drink it or cook with it, notto mention laundry or cleaning, but there’s no choice but touse it.

In the summer, we only get water once every two to threedays. Because of the power outages, sometimes we don’t havewater and electricity at the same time, so we can’t use thepump to get water to the roof. We don’t own a generator, sosometimes my sons and I have to fill up small containers andcarry them to the roof. It’s very tiring. Sometimes I stay up allnight and wait until the power and water come on to fill thecontainers.

The salinity is a seriousproblem: when you turn onthe faucet, yellowish, rustywater comes out. We onlyuse it for laundry, cleaningand bathing. Our kitchenutensils have gone whitefrom the salt and have alayer of rust. The rust ruinsthe faucets and I replacethem whenever I get thechance. But sometimes Ihave to make do with themas they are.

BUTHAYNAH ABU GHABEN. PHOTO BY KHALED AL-‘AZAYZEH, B'TSELEM, 14 JUNE 2020

I buy drinking water fromtrucks and use it for drinking, delicate laundry and cooking.Every month I fill up a 250-liter container in my kitchen fivetimes. It costs 15 shekels (~5 USD) every time. It’s a financialburden and sometimes, when I don’t have money, I ask thevendor for credit. In the winter, if I don’t have the money, Istock rainwater for our household needs.

The salty water causes a lot of problems: it damages our hairand fingernails, makes our skin dry and is bad for our teethand ears. Our eyes and bodies really itch after we shower. Mykids complain about the irritation in their eyes and su�er fromrashes. My daughters, who are young women, and I su�er fromhair loss and our skin is very dry. We don’t have money to buycreams and ointments and have to get by without them. Thewater isn’t even clean enough to cleanse before prayer. I feellike it’s almost sewage, not even fit for animals to drink.

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Samira ‘Abd a-Salam (56), a married mother of seven fromthe neighborhood of Tal al-Hawa in Gaza City:

We have four daughters and three sons. I’m a homemaker andhave been living here for 25 years. All these years, I’ve su�eredfrom the salt in the water. Since the blockade started thingshave become worse, because now there are long breaks in thewater and power supply, which are sometimes not even on atthe same time. Our building has four stories and about 25residents. Together, we consume a lot of water.

TAPS AND SINKS ACCUMULATE RUST. PHOTO BY KHALED AL-‘AZAYZEH, B'TSELEM, 12 JULY 2020

The tap wateris so salty, you

can makepickles with it.As soon as you

open thefaucet, you seethat it’s dirty,salty and not

fit for use.

Every family in the neighborhood has two water containers onthe roof, which hold 3,000 liters together. To have enoughwater we need to fill them up every day, but we only getrunning water every other day. In the summer, the supply isdown to once in three or four days, and sometimes only once aweek. Every family also has a container of 1,500 liters in theiryard. Whenever we have running water, we first of all fill upthese containers. When the power comes on, too, we pumpwater into the containers on the roof, so every family has tohave a pump.

Sometimes we stay up until dawn and wait for the electricity tocome on so we can pump water to the roof. I set an alarmclock to wake up when both supplies are on at the same time,and then I’m exhausted the whole day.

The tap water is so salty, you can make pickles with it. As soonas you open the faucet, you see that it’s dirty, salty and not fitfor use. Still, we have no choice but to use it, even though it’sbad for us. It makes our hair coarse and dry and fall out more.My daughter Samar (32) had a rash and the doctor said it wasfrom the water. It also makes our eyes red and irritated, and myhusband gets severe eyelid infections from it. To wash ourfaces, we fill up a bottle with drinking water.

Because of rust and calciumresidues, we have to changethe faucets and pipes oncea while. We switched all theplumbing in the house toplastic because it rusted sooften. The toilet tanks andsiphons became clogged, sowe had to replace them. Itcosts us a lot of money andis especially tough now,because of our financialsituation. The water alsodamages householdappliances such as kitchenutensils. I keep pouringcitric acid and vinegar intothe washing machine toclean the pipes fromcalcium and rust, but there’sstill a lot of wear and tear. I wash my black clothes in freshwater so they don't get ruined.

We buy our drinking water from trucks that come to theneighborhood. Every week, I fill up a container of 250 liters Ikeep on the balcony. The water costs us about 40 to 50 shekels(~12-15 USD) a month, which is a significant expense, andthat’s just for drinking and cooking. We live on the second

floor, and sometimes the truck owner refuses to send thewater up to the balcony because he says he doesn’t haveenough fuel. When the power’s on, we can use our pump. So Ilower him a rope, he ties the hose, I pull it up and put it in thecontainer, then he lets the water out. The hose is long andheavy.

Every year and especially in summer, when we need morewater, I get anxious because of the shortage. I hope the supplyand salinity problems will be solved one day, because I’mworried and exhausted from dealing with it. But I’m notoptimistic. The occupation authorities want to pressure us andwear us down.

Hassan Abu Yusef (42), unemployed, a married father ofthree from a-Nuseirat Refugee Camp:

My wife and I have three children – ‘Ali (12), Sara (7) and Yusef(2.5). I’m unemployed and live in a-Nuseirat Refugee Camp. Formany years, we’ve been su�ering from water shortages thatlast several days a time. It gets worse in summer. I keep threewater containers on the roof: one can hold 1,500 liters, another1,000 liters, and the third 500 liters. I fill them up when there’swater in the taps. The problem is that the water flow is weak,so I have to use an electrical pump to get the water up to theroof. But even when the water’s running, the power doesn’talways work at the same time. Sometimes, we have neither.

I’m constantly thinking about the water problem. Even whenI’m out of the house, I’m always in touch with my wife to makesure she turned on the pumps and to ask whether the powerand water are on at the same time. We ration the water so wedon’t run out. We only use tap water for laundry, bathing anddishwashing. I buy our drinking and cooking water separately. I

WATER CONTAINERS ON ROOFS IN SOUTHERN GAZA STRIP. PHOTO BY KHALED AL-‘AZAYZEH, B'TSELEM, 12 JULY 2020

I’m constantlythinking about

the waterproblem. Even

when I’m out ofthe house, I’m

always intouch with my

wife to askwhether thepower and

water are on.

have one 500-liter container and I fill up less than half of it,because I don’t want the fresh water to stay in it for long. Everytwo weeks or so, I pay 10 shekels (~3 USD) for 250 liters offresh water. But in the summer we drink more, and I have tobuy that amount about once a week.

According to the supplyschedule in our area, we’resupposed to get water onSundays, Tuesdays, andThursdays, but the hours areirregular. On those days, wetake turns checking the tapsfor water. Sometimes, mywife stays up at night towait for it and then turns onthe pump and fills thecontainers. Only then canshe do the laundry andclean the house. Ifsomething goes wrong withthe schedule, so, forinstance, we don’t getrunning water on Tuesday,we won’t get it untilThursday. In that case, mywife has to put o� doinglaundry until we haveenough water for otherneeds. If we don’t get it by Thursday, I have to buy expensivedesalinated water, which costs between 30 to 50 shekels (~9-15 USD), to fill up the large containers and use the water forbathing and cleaning, too.

The tap water is salty and not fit for drinking. Sometimes thesalinity is so high that it’s gray. It has a lot of chalk andlimestone in it, which ruins the faucets. Every so often I needto replace them. The salt water is also bad for hair, so when Itake a shower, I put a jerrycan of fresh water next to me. After Ifinish showering, I wash my hair and other sensitive parts withwater from the jerrycan.

Because of the salt in the water, the electrical pump oftenbreaks down and the containers gather so much rust that Ihave to call a plumber to fix them. When that happens, I usethe opportunity to clean them and often find mud and sand atthe bottom.

If I had tochoose, I’d

Hala al-Kahlut (39), a married mother of four from theneighborhood of a-Sheik Radwan in Gaza City:

We have two daughters and two sons: Saly (18), Malak (16),Husam (15) and Muhannad (12). We’ve been su�ering fromproblems with the water supply for years: the salinity, theirregular supply, and the lack of coordination between thewater and power supplies. Sometimes we’re stuck withoutwater for three or four days in a row. At other times, we have tostay up all night to wait for the water supply to come on anduse the opportunity when the power is also on, or else wecan’t fill the containers on the roof. When there’s no water inthe house, I feel really distressed. If I had to choose, I’d rathermake do without electricity and have water all the time. Wateris life and without water in my home, I feel hopeless andexhausted.

The main problem is the salinity of the tap water. It’s unfit forbathing, drinking or cooking. I have no choice but to use it forbathing and daily housework. I buy drinking water from trucksthat go around the neighborhood. Every week, I fill up acontainer of 250 liters, which costs 10 shekels. I fill it four timesa month and use the water for cooking, baking, co�ee and tea.

When you open the faucets, the water comes out with ayellowish tint. It makes our hair coarse and our scalps itch. Oureyes go red and we feel the irritation after the shower,especially my kids. Our skin also becomes very dry.

The salty water alsodamages the pipes, whichaccumulate rust andresidues of calcium andevery few months, I have to

HALA AL-KAHLUT. PHOTO BY OLFAT AL-KURD, B'TSELEM, 16 JUNE 2020

rather make dowithout

electricity andhave water all

the time. Wateris life and

without waterin my home, Ifeel hopeless

and exhausted.

change them. I recentlychanged them to plastic, inthe hope they’ll last longer.Every three or four months, Ihave to change parts of thewashing machine that areruined by the water.Because of the saltiness,our clothes come out sti�from the wash and after awhile, they crumble and teareasily.

We’re su�ering very muchfrom this situation, and Ican’t wait for it to end. I lookforward to the day we’ll geta steady supply of waterand power and the tapwater will be sweet. Meanwhile, we have to buy drinking waterseparately, but even that's not really fit for use.

Hatem Hamed (53), unemployed, a married father of sixfrom a-Zawaydah:

We have three sons and three daughters. I’ve beenunemployed for 13 years and we live in a small tin-coveredhouse near the a-Zawaydah towers, north of Deir al-Balah. Thewater supply only reaches us once every four days, for aboutsix hours at a time. When the water’s running, the flow is weakand the water is very salty. I wait for the water the whole week

HATEM HAMED. KHALED AL-‘AZAYZEH, B'TSELEM, 28 JUNE 2020

When youbathe, you

don’t feel thatthe soap is

really cleaninganything, andthe washing

machine needsa lot of powderto do anything.

and check the taps often. Sometimes, I leave the faucet opento hear when the water comes back.

I have a water container with a volume of 500 liters by thehouse, and two more 1,000-liter containers on the roof. If thewater comes on while the power’s o�, I can only fill up thesmall container in the yard. When the power’s on, I can pumpthat water up to the roof, but then we’re only left with 500liters. If the containers empty before the supply comes backon, I buy drinking water for about 30 shekels (~9 USD) percubic meter, and we fill them with it. That happens mostly insummer, when we consume more water.

The tap water is very saltyand not fit for human use.We have no choice but touse it for bathing,dishwashing and laundry.My daughters wash theirhair in the drinking waterbecause the salt harms it.Before prayers, I use tapwater to cleanse myself andthen wash my mouth. Ireally can’t stand the taste.

The faucets in the house areall in a bad state, becausethey’re full of limestone andrust. The momentsomething needs fixing andyou take it apart, everythingbreaks. Even the toilet bowlgets ruined by the salt andcan break when you clean it. All of that costs a lot to fix, and Ihave no income.

When you bathe, you don’t feel that the soap is really cleaninganything, and the washing machine needs a lot of powder todo anything. My son Jamal (30) learned how to makehomemade washing powder and cleaning products to save usmoney. The salt also damages our clothes, which wear downsoon after we buy them.

The salty water is not even suitable for agriculture. I’ve plantedfruit trees such as figs, grapes and citrus fruit again and again,but they don’t grow because of the saltiness.

Israel’s regime of occupation is inextricably bound up in human rights violations. B’Tselemstrives to end the occupation, as that is the only way forward to a future in which human

rights, democracy, liberty and equality are ensured to all people, both Palestinian and Israeli,living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.