Gaza is home for some 2 million human beings and all the untreated sewage finds its way to the aquifer or to the sea. The sea currents are strong and go from south to north, partly because of the Nile river. Only five kilometers north of Gaza are the intake pipes of the the Ashkelon Desalination Plant, which produces 13 percent of Israel's domestic consumer demand. The sewage is fouling the membranes and are potential health problem for Israel, as some virus and metals may be passing through the filters. Roughly one-third of the sewage being dumped into the sea comes from pumping stations in Beach Camp, a refugee camp of 80,000 people. Generators lack the fuel to pump sewage to Gaza City's treatment plant. Israel is not happy with supplying sewage pipes to Gaza, as they may be used to build Kassam rockets that are killing Israelis.
5 comments:
Why not supply terra cotta pipes, or concrete ones?
Is there a solution to extend the intake pipes beyond the zone of contaminated water, or would that be too expensive. And are the intake pipes, wherever they are, not vulnerable to some kind of interference?
The strong northward marine current extends for several kilometers and it is always changing. Fouling is a big problem, and it shortens membrane life. The Eastern Mediterranean here used to be a marine desert, with little sea vegetation and few fishes. Now, thanks to the organic matter - rich Nile discharge and the Gaza sewage, a rich bioflora and fauna is being developed. Poisonous Asian jellyfish and other formerly unknown marine lifeforms have invaded these waters. Of course they can be filtered out, but it makes drinking water production more expensive.
Ronduck,
For pumped sewage steel pipes are indicated. We have been starting to use HDPE high density poli ethylene, and that could be a solution. Supplying an enemy entity that is bombarding us daily is difficult. Some people is asking why should we help them?
Generators lack the fuel to pump sewage to Gaza City's treatment plant.
Is everything this way in the refugee camps?
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