Lahmeyer supports Water Supply and Sanitation Project in Nablus, Palestine

Inauguration by the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation, Mr. Dirk Niebel

The Water Supply and Sanitation Department of Nablus Municipality in Palestine undertook a water supply and sanitation project with support of Lahmeyer International und Lahmeyer GKW Consult. The projects have been realised since June 2010 within the Palestinian-German Development Cooperation and financed by the KfW Development Bank. In July, the new wastewater treatment plant, which is the second of its type in the West Bank, was opened by the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation, Mr. Dirk Niebel. It will serve 150,000 inhabitants.

At first, the Nablus West Wastewater Treatment Plant with a 10 km length sewer trunk line and a 4,000 m³ capacity stormwater tank was constructed. The aim of the plant is to counteract the spread of odours and epidemic diseases caused by the flow of sewerage along Zomer Valley. Farmers are prevented from using untreated wastewater to irrigate their lands. Furthermore, surface and groundwater will in future be protected from pollution in the Western Basin. Drinking water will be saved by using treated wastewater for irrigation purposes. Up to the year 2020, the Nablus West Wastewater Treatment Plant will treat wastewater for a town with a population of 150,000 PE, thus covering the west area of Nablus and five villages Deir Sharaf, Beit Iba, beit Wazan, Qusin and Zawata.

Nablus Municipality also concluded implementation of the second phase of the project targeting on the reduction of water losses according to international standards. Old water networks were replaced, new distribution lines with total length of 110 km were installed, and three water reservoirs in different areas of the city with volume ranges from 750-2000 cbm were constructed. By reducing pressure in the water networks, a fair distribution of water services could be achieved. Distribution cost could be minimised, also reflecting on the water tariff.