Recycled water considered for agricultural irrrigation in Jericho

The West Bank city of Jericho is looking to re-use waste water in a bid to conserve and supplement its dwindling supplies. Treated water would be used for irrigation purposes only and is being tested on a number of agricultural projects. This tank holds millions of litres of water - a precious resource in the dry and dusty West Bank. But all of it is waste water, diverted from the sewage system in nearby Jericho city. Water around the Jordan valley is scarce and authorities are looking at new ways to conserve and secure the area's water future. This treatment plant became operational in August last year and is currently processing about 200 cubic metres of sewage water per day, according to plant engineer Mohammad Azmouti. "The treated water is used for plant purposes such as cleaning and irrigating (within the plant). Of course there's a plan to reuse the treated water to serve farmers and to water palm trees. In addition the solids that are by-products will be used as a fertiliser for the benefit of farmers," he says. Rainfall isn't enough to cover the need for drinking water, let alone irrigation. The problem is compounded due to severe restrictions on drilling for underground water and limited access to water from the nearby river Jordan. When working at full capacity, the plant will have the potential to process up to 9800 cubic meters of sewage water per day. Waste water is treated through a three step process. Firstly, sewage water is filtered to separate solids from fluids. Then biological pollutants are eliminated through the use of bacteria, before the water is treated with chlorine The Jericho municipality wants to use the treated water for irrigating public parks and general cleaning purposes. "As you know the temperature in the city of Jericho is high and it is an agricultural city and therefore its need for water is very high, especially in the summer. The plant through the treatment process will cover part of the severe water shortage that has been affecting the city of Jericho for years," says the Mayor of Jericho, Mohammad Jalaita. The plant is partially powered by solar panels, making it even more environmentally friendly. Waste water is piped from the parts of Jericho that are connected to the network. Using treated water for irrigation means saving fresh water for human consumption. However, the city will need to overcome cultural problems with using treated water. Some Palestinian farmers refuse to irrigate with treated water as they still perceive it as dirty water. Farmer Ismail Deaiek is willing to use it on some crops, but not others. "In reality we want to use this water but we will use it on (certain) trees without affecting the quality of produce. Therefore we will focus on two crops now: Olives as you can see and the other is the cultivation of grains such as barely and sorghum and similar crops," he says. The Municipality is also engaging with the public, including children, to raise awareness on the benefits of re-cycling waste water. It wants to change the public perception of treated water, so people aren't afraid of it and more farmers use it. Children are also being taught not to dispose of harmful chemical agents and cooking oils through the sewage system. One student, Tabra says: "We will tell our parents to participate in the campaign for proper sewage disposal and we will raise their awareness on what to dispose of through the sink." So far, the water is only being used in a small number of pilot agricultural projects within the treatment centre itself. Palestinian code allows the use of treated water to irrigate trees like citrus and palm trees for example, but not vegetables. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/318fa0848b61956995156f6d8aa37bd2 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork