Governance of Wastewater Effluent Reuse Management in The Gaza Strip

Abstract

The institutional reforms within the Palestinian water sector have been undertaken under three principles; the water sector has only one regulatory body; functions of policy formulation, regulation and service delivery are strictly separated from each other; and the involvement of the private sector in the provision and management of services. The overall institutional framework constituent from policy level which consist of cabinet of ministers and national water council. The regular level is water Palestinian authority and service delivery level consists of bulk water utilities. The gabs in mandate for effluent reuse are: Construction, operation and maintenance of the effluent conveyance system between the WWTP and the off-take points at the farm level; management of contractual relations with farmers for the supply of effluent; effluent tariff collection, including recovery of operation and maintenance costs of the effluent conveyance system as well as for additional effluent treatment for compliance with the standards for reuse; and Construction, operation and maintenance of recharge facilities and cost recovery thereof. This paper discussed three institutional options for reuse management: Ministry of Agriculture to be the service provider; the second option is extension the services of Water Utilities while the third one is establishing wastewater reuse utility. Using multi criteria analyses shows that stakeholders prefer establishing wastewater reuse utility as a body responsible for reuse management