The Coastal Municipalities Water Utility is a semi-public entity financially independent, responsible for the water supply service, wastewater treatment, disposal and storm water collection in Gaza. The utility aims to provide hygienically safe water and environmental friendly wastewater services in a reliable way to the residents of Gaza.
The territory is 41 kilometers long, and from 6 to 12 kilometers wide, with a total area of 365 square kilometers. With around 1.85 million people living in Gaza, Gaza ranks as the 3rd most densely populated area in the world.
Challenge
The long time constraints on developing Gaza due to Israeli occupation and the geopolitical situation in the region, the development, upgrading and maintenance of infrastructure of all kinds have been suffering. The most critical infrastructure to the welfare of people is clean water and safe sanitary services.
The wastewater networks in many towns and settlements are old and/or damaged. The challenge to repair and upgrade the wastewater system is hence huge. It is also a challenge to keep construction work moving despite constraints on supply of material and equipment.
In the project area at present the wastewater is either discharged to septic tanks and/or soak away pits, or even directly to the street. The maintenance and emptying of septic tanks and soak away pits are regarded as expensive by the population and are therefore neglected. As a result, these are overflowing frequently, contaminating the environment.
Scope of work
The project shall contribute to an improvement of living conditions and to the protection of water resources in Palestine.
Purpose of the work
In accordance with the overall objective of the water sector programme of Palestine, the purpose of the project is two-fold:
- To improve sanitary conditions in the project area in Gaza
- To contribute to the protection of water resources in the project area.
In order to achieve these purposes, the project foresees the construction of sewer networks in Amer area and in the Berka area. In both cases residential areas under development and not yet connected to the existing main sewerage infrastructure will be benefitting.
In Amer area the sewerage network will cover an area of approximately 2 km2, The area is located at the boundary between Jubalia and Beit Lahya, immediately north of Gaza City. In Berka area the sewerage network to be constructed will cover approximately 1,6 km2. 80 % of the population in the area (approximately 56.000 people) will be connected to the respective sewerage networks
Description of services provided
The activities performed are as follows:
- Reviewed and updated the existing design
- Redesigned and/or amended the sewer network
- Carried out comprehensive review, update and finalization of the entire bidding documents
- Tendered the works including tender evaluation, recommendation for the ward of contract and assistance during contract negotiations
- Provided professional and comprehensive services for construction of the works
From the field
-
Excavation works (1)
-
Excavation works (2)
Project data
| Internal Project Number | 535963 |
|---|---|
| Project Title | Waste Water Networks in Dair Al Balah and Jabalia |
| Project Category | Waste water network |
| Fields of Expertise | Water and Environment |
| Participating Offices | Kristiansand, Stavanger |
| Deliverables | Review and updating of design, tender documents, and supervision of works |
| Project Duration | 2014 – 2016 (completed) |
| Size of Project Area | 4 km2 |
| Project Location | Gaza, Palestine |
| NORPLAN Contact Person | Dr Svein Stoveland |
| Client | Palestinian Water Authority |
| Client Contact Person | Ahmed Kullab, Director of Quality Assurance Department |
| Cooperating Partners | Center for Engineering and Planning Gaza (CEP) |
| Awards | N/A |
| Project Value | USD 500,000 |