Lebanese Republic Ba'albeck Water and Wastewater
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Public Disclosure Authorized LEBANESE REPUBLIC Public Disclosure Authorized BA'ALBECK WATER AND WASTEWATER PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized January 15, 2002 LEBANESE REPUBLIC Ba'albeck Water and Wastewater Project Environmental Assessment 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background As part of the National Emergency Reconstruction Program (NERP), the design and construction of a water supply and distribution network for Ba'albeck was implemented under the ERRP that was funded through a World Bank loan. The water supply network was designed to meet the demands up to the year 2015 and to cover all villages falling between Ba'albeck and El Nabi Chit. The present population of the villages benefiting from the water network is approximately 250,000 inhabitants. Under the ERRP, the construction of the water supply and distribution network was implemented and covered all components (boreholes, transmission lines, reservoirs, chlorination station, distribution pipelines) except the house connections. Also, the operation and maintenance of the system was not included in the construction contract. Similarly to the water supply and distribution network, considerable efforts have been made to improve the wastewater system in Ba'albeck and the surrounding villages. Under the ERRP, around 20 km of wastewater pipelines were laid in the city of Ba'albeck, mainly in replacement of damaged or very old existing pipelines. Later on, the Council of Development and Reconstruction (CDR) initiated a new contract that included: (1) the construction of a wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of 12,500 cum/day to serve Ba'albeck and the surrounding villages up to the year 2008, (2) the provision of approximately 7.4 km of trunk lines, and (3) the operation and maintenance of the wastewater treatment plant for one year. 1.2 Project Objectives The major development objectives of the proposed Ba'albeck Water and Wastewater Project-BWWP (the project) include: (a) developing and strengthening the capacity of the Ba'albeck Hermel Water and Irrigation Authority (BHWIA) and the Zahle and Chamsine Water Authorities (ZWA and CWA); (b) improving the access of the customers of the Ba'albeck Hermel Water and Irrigation Authority (BHWIA) to satisfactory water supply and wastewater services; (c) involving the private sector in the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the water and wastewater facilities; and (d) rationalizing the use of water through the introduction of water meters. 2 1.3 Project components: 1. Institutional Development. This includes the provision of a Technical Support Unit (TSU) for the BHWIA, ZWA and CWA, as well as training activities that aim at improving the capabilities of the water authorities to design, develop and implement public-private partnership in the water and wastewater sectors. 2. Improving and Increasing Service Coverage for Water Supply. This includes the following: * Implementation of house connections corresponding to 2500 service connections at US$500 per connection. The Phase-I house connections serve about 4,500 consumers for the following villages : Nabi Chit, Serrain Fawka, Serrain Tahta, Serrain Gharbieh, Hellaniye, Chimiye, Sifri, Haouch Nabi, Al Khodr and Khraibeh. * Operation and Maintenance of the Phase-I house connections and all water facilities including the newly added distribution lines. This is equivalent to 10% of the value of the capital investment made under the house connections and the additional distribution lines (US$2,300,000), in addition to 10% x works completed under the ERRP located within the Phase-I area (US$6,700,000). * Construction of additional water distribution lines that represent 15 km of HDPE pipes with all their related fittings and accessories including the connections to the already executed network for the same villages as above. The average price of the meter is US$70 (around US$1,050,000). * Construction of the house connections for all villages which are not included in Phase 1. This amount covers the construction of 13,500 service connections at a unit rate of US$500 (US$6,750,000). * O&M for transmission pipelines (49 km) with diameters varying between 80 mm and 350 mm, boreholes (14 No.), reservoirs (10 No.) with a capacity varying between 150 and 600 cu.m. and electromechanical works consisting of 15 pumping station and their related chlorination stations. O&M equal to 10% of the above-mentioned capital investment (US$9,000,000). 3. Improving and Increasing Service Coverage for Wastewater Collection. This consists of the following activities: * Construction of wastewater network to cover Ba'albeck city and the surround, i.e, Douris, Ain Bordai, Iaat, Tel Abiad at a cost of US$90 per meter with a total length of 160 km of pipeline with diameters varying from 150 mm to 600 mm (around US$14,400,000). * Preparation of a storage area for the sludge effluent at the WWTP. * Tertiary treatment at the WWTP. * Extension of the effluent discharge pipe at the WWTP. * Measures to improve the engineering design of the WWTP. 3 4. Consulting Services. This consists of preparation of tender documents, conduction of a number of studies in the wastewater sector, as well as monitoring and supervision. 5. Service Contract. The Service Contractor will be responsible for operating and maintaining all water and wastewater facilities such as transmission pipelines, boreholes, reservoirs electromechanical works such as pumping and chlorination stations. The SC will be also responsible for the O&M of the WWTP and the sewerage network and for implementing the water and wastewater quality monitoring program. 1.4 Project Environmental Category: The proposed project has been reviewed and environmentally screened. The project has been classified as Category B, consistent with the provision of the World Bank Operational Policy 4.01, Annex C on Environmental Assessment (January 1999). The project focuses on the provision of water supply house connections and wastewater collection networks. All works will be executed either within the premises of existing facilities or within the right of way of public streets. The project does not finance construction of new facilities for water production, water treatment or wastewater treatment. Potential adverse environmental impacts during both construction and operation are restricted in magnitude and severity. The proposed project is expected to have major beneficial impacts on the environment, as it would provide proper collection of wastewater thus reducing surface and groundwater contamination. The project will also provide controlled water supply connections to the households and will reduce overdraft of the aquifer. It will also improve health conditions of the rural population by providing them with good quality domestic water from storage facilities. These potential benefits should outweigh the magnitude of the adverse environmental impacts arising from the construction of the water distribution and wastewater collection networks. 2. LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK 2.1 Regulatory Framework for Environmental Impact Assessment: Presently, the environmental framework of Lebanon is managed and supervised by the Ministry of Environment (MOE) that was created by law 216 of April 2nd, 1993 to be the government institution responsible for the development of a national strategy for sustainable development. The MOE is undergoing several review procedures to up-date the country's environmental policies and regulations including the preparation of a code de l'Environnement, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) decree, as well as norms and standards for environmental protection. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) decree that was prepared by the MOE will require that an EIA be initiated during the planning process of both public and private development projects in Lebanon. As part of the EIA decree, two annexes have been prepared. Annex I lists the projects that are classified as Category A and would require a full environmental assessment study, while Annex 2 lists the projects that are classified as Category B. According to the draft EIA decree, water and wastewater projects are classified as follows: (i) Water Supply: Construction of dams and reservoirs: Category A Construction of a complete water supply system: Category A Construction of water supply treatment plants: Category B 4 (ii) Wastewater: Construction of wastewater treatment plants: Category A Construction of sea outfalls: Category A Construction of a complete wastewater system: Category A Construction of wastewater collection network: Category B The proposed project includes water supply house connections and wastewater collection networks and will therefore be classified as Category B. Although the EIA decree has not been passed by the Lebanese Government, EIA studies are being undertaken for most projects especially those that are being funded by International Organizations and Lending Agencies. EIA are being conducted based on the procedures developed in the draft EIA decree, which comply with the World Bank EA requirements. 2.2 Existing Environmental Legislation Existing laws and regulations for environmental protection in Lebanon date as back as 1925. Ground and surface water resources have been protected since the introduction of Order No. 144 dated June 1925, which covered the major springs that supply the country's potable and irrigation needs. Protection against pollution was first addressed by Decree No. 8735 of October 1974 that prohibited