1 © Palestinian Water Authority West Bank Al-Baloua, Baghdad St. P.O. Box 2174. Al-Bireh Tel: +972 2 242 90 22 Fax: +972 2 242 93 41 Gaza Al-Rimal, Al-wehdeh St. P.O. Box 1438. Al-Rimal Tel: +972 8 283 36 09 Fax: +972 8 282 66 30 www.pwa.ps 2 Table of Contents Foreword . 6 Introduction . .8 1.1 Contextual Background and Current Situation. .9 1.2 Palestinian Water Authority’s Role in Water Supply . .11 1.3 Report Aim, Structure and Content . .10 1.4 Executive Summary. 12 Part One Water Supply to the West Bank . 15 1.1 Water Resources . .15 1.1.1 Local Resources. 19 I. Municipal Wells . .23 II. Ein Samia (JWU) wells. 24 III. PWA Wells. 26 IV. Agricultural Wells . .27 V. Springs. 28 1.1.2 Purchased Resources. 31 1.2 Water Production vs. Water Consumption. 33 1.2.1 Average Water Supply Rate . .33 1.2.2 Supply and Demand Gap . .35 1.2.3 Water Consumption Rate- Individual Analysis. 38 1.2.4 Water Network Coverage . .44 1.2.5 Water Supply for Agricultural Purposes. 52 Part Two Water Supply to Gaza Strip. 55 2.1 Municipal Water Demand. 56 2.1.1Governorate Analysis . .59 I. Northern Governorate . .59 II. Gaza Governorate. .60 III. Middle governorate . .60 IV. Khan Younis Governorate. 61 V. Rafah Governorate. 62 2.1.2UNRWA Wells. 63 3 2.1.3Purchased Resources . .64 2.2.1 Crop Water Requirements and Vulnerable Climate Change in the Region 69 2.2.2Livestock Water Demand. .71 2.2.3 General Notes. 72 Part Three Consequences of Israeli Actions. 75 3.1 Water Supply to Area C. 75 3.2 Violations in Water Supply Agreements . .76 Annexes . 79 4 Foreword 5 Foreword It is apparent to all water related data and information professionals including from identified sources, and scientists, managers, planners, to assure and control the data and decision makers that the flow from the field to the water availability of information and information system and then to data on the water situation is the different users through its the key stone for water sector dissemination. The data bank development as well as a key unit then stores and controls the element for the Integrated data of assured quality to present Water Resources Management and list data in a suitable format. and planning in any country. The With predefined quality control mechanism of disseminating the measures, and according to its water information in the current defined mandate in different situation is not considered a reports and publications. flexible process for the different This report is one of the reports key actors for strategic planning presented recently by PWA to and effective management highlight its activities within the of the most important sector water sector, and to illustrate where all issues intersect: the water resources supply and social, economic, hydrological, demand gaps in the Occupied metrological, water use, and Palestinian Territory aiming to water consumption. Therefore, provide the interested users- PWA realizes the important readers a factual scene of the need for publishing and status of water development disseminating water sector practices and the actual data and information for the supplied quantities to the public in a continuous and Palestinian communities in sustainable manner. to achieve the West Bank and the Gaza this objective. PWA established Strip. This report includes the Data Bank unit with the a different set of indicators following main objectives: showing the acute water crisis to gather and collect water in the availability of water for 6 Water Supply Report Palestinian communities due led to publishing this report, to the domination and control especially the Data Bank staff, over water resources by the Ashraf Dweikat, Shahd Tibi, and Israeli occupation authorities the water resources staff, Deeb and the imposed mechanisms Abdelghafour, Omar Zayed, and that lead to a halt in the the advisors, Almotaz Abadi development process of the and Dr. Karen Assaf, and from water infrastructure needed PWA Gaza, Ahmed Yaqoubi, for a fair distribution across the Mahmoud Abdullatif, Jamal fragmented territories. Dadah, for their efforts as a Team to set up a solid process to issue This report is also considered such report. as a reference document to abstract figures and facts on Lastly, I would like to express my the status of Palestinian water gratitude to the UNICEF team in the oPt that offered its financial supply and demand and it and technical support to enable shows the difference in water PWA to set up a sustainable consumption rates within mechanism to disseminate the Palestinian governorates. data and information on water I would like to express my and wastewater sector. PWA deepest gratitude to the will in the future issue periodic Palestinian Water Authority team reports on water supply based for their tremendous efforts that on the format of this report. Dr. Shaddad Attili Head of the Palestinian Water Authority 7 Introduction Ongoing Palestinian Institutional Scheme for the Water Sector is 1.1 Contextual Background divided to the Main Pillars: and Current Situation Policy, Planning, Development The water sector in the and Regulation, This is undertaken by PWA and the Occupied Palestinian Territory Joint Water Committee along with the is currently going through a relevant line ministries (Ministry of Agriculture …) crucial period; the existing situation is set in the context Water Supply, This is obtained from local resources of unbalanced opportunities. (PWA wells, municipal wells, Jerusalem Since 1967, Palestinians have Water Undertaking (JWU) wells, lost their share from and Agricultural wells and springs) or purchased from the Israeli water access to the Jordan River company “Mekorot”. which is the most important Water Distribution, surface water resource in the This process is carried out by water region, in addition to most service providers such as JWU, Water Supply and Sewerage Authority of the groundwater that is (WSSA), Municipalities, Village Council considered as the main source Water departments, and Joint Service of water supplied annually Councils. with insufficient quantities Water Consumption, that is less than half of the Water is needed mainly for domestic or agricultural uses with minimal industrial basic needs. needs at this time. The full control of the Israelis Water is mainly delivered through water networks; if that is not the case; over water resources and the household depends on purchasing infrastructure development water from tankers with an average cost of 12 NIS/m3, moreover, this price can has resulted in obvious reach even double this value depending poor capacity building for on the distance the tanker has to cross, the flexibility of the checkpoint and practitioners working in this sometimes the interference of black- field, as well as poor economic market principles. Residents also depend on the use of rainfall collection growth accompanied with wells with an average cost of 6 NIS/ increased poverty. Health m3, or depend on spring water with and sanitation conditions are an average cost of 3.5 NIS/m3, or water from other sources that may cost them getting worse, in addition as high as 13 NIS/m3 or even more. 8 to a massive deterioration of 1.2 Palestinian Water the environment(1). This lack Authority’s Role in Water of access to adequate, safe, Supply and sufficient drinking water “Israel is confiscating our land is a critical problem for the and our water and obstructing Palestinian population, who our movement as well as the are forced to decrease their movement of goods. It is the standard of living to the bare one obstructing our whole minimum, depriving them from destiny, all of this is unilateral.”(2) the basic human rights to water, Within the context of the food security and health. National Water Policy (NWP) and A living proof for this dilemma the draft Water Management is the Palestinians’ actual water Strategy (WMS); the overall consumption rate (82 l/c/d) that objective and guiding vision of lies below the minimum World the Palestinian Water Authority Health Organization’s (WHO)’s (PWA) is the equitable and standards (100 l/c/d), compared sustainable management and to about four times as much in development of Palestine’s water Israel (300 l/c/d). resources. This corresponds with PWA’s mission of securing It is worth mentioning that a transparent, sustainable and in rural communities which accountable environmentally are not connected to a sound development of water water distribution network, resources through efficient Palestinians survive on far less regulations and equitable water that 70 l/c/d, and in some cases management. The goals set barely 15 liters per day. to achieve that mainly define the optimum way to regulate, manage, protect and conserve the limited water resources as (1) For further information about the current water (2) Statement by H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, sector in Palestine refer to the PWA study: “Basic President of the State of Palestine, before United Needs and Development Ongoing and Proposed Nations General Assembly-Sixty-sixth Session. Projects by Governorates”, 2009. New York, 2011. 9 well as optimize the benefit from water resources development by Summary: PWA Role in raising water consumption levels Water Supply Process to provide a healthy environment • Support centralization and economic development. of the hydrological data Addressing the increasing collection and publishing of all water resources data scarcity of water resources and information. in Palestine and the political complexity attached to it with • Evaluate projects related proper key solutions is simply to water resources the translation of the PWA’s prior to licensing its implementation. goals in this area. One of the policy’s main principles is that • Participate in the water supply must be based on preparation of regional a sustainable development of water plans, supervise and all available water resources, of monitor individual water which the development of these projects as well as the preparation of a national resources must be coordinated water plan.