Present situation of wastewater and the possible prospect for its reuse in the Gaza Strip

Abstract

The level of groundwater, the main water resource in the Gaza Strip, is being depleted and its quality is adversely affected. The agriculture sector is a major consumer of groundwater. Wastewater reuse appears to be a promising option to cover part of the water demand. The existing three (Beit Lahia, Gaza and Rafah) wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are overloaded. The quality of the effluent from Gaza and even Beit-Lahia WWTPs would be acceptable whereas that of Rafah WWTP is of poor quality. Acceptance to use treated wastewater for irrigation is a crucial aspect to ensure the success of any reuse project. Opinion of 79 farmers was sought for using treated wastewater, through a questionnaire. The majority of farmers (68; 86.1%) agreed to use the treated wastewater for irrigation. Most of the farmers (71; 89.9%) appeared willing to pay for treated wastewater. There is a master plan to construct three …