Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation US Agency for International Development Egypt Water Policy Reform Contract No. LAG-I-00-99-00017-00 Task Order 815 NILE RIVER WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT STUDY Report No. 67 June 2003 Egypt Water Policy Reform Contract No. LAG-I-00-99-00017-00 Task Order 815 Report No. 67 Nile River Water Quality Management Study Prepared by: Dr. Phillip Brown Dr. Fatma El Gohary Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Tawfic Dr. Emad Imam Hamdy Dr. Shaden Abdel-Gawad July 2003 for United States Agency for International Development/Egypt Under the Integrated Water and coastal Resources Management Indefinite Quantity Contract Principal: Development Alternatives, Inc. Subcontractor: International Resources Group Egypt Water Policy Reform Nile River Water Quality Management Study Table of Contents Acronyms................................................................................................................................. iii 1. Introduction............................................................................................................................1 1.1 Background .........................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Scope of Work .............................................................................................................................................2 1.2.1 Task 1: Review of Existing Work and Collection of Supplemental Information................................. 2 1.2.2 Task 2: Assess Feasibility of Separation of Drainage and Canal Water .............................................. 2 1.2.3 Task 3: Mass Balance Study ................................................................................................................ 2 1.2.4 Other Tasks .......................................................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Questions That Need to be Answered..........................................................................................................3 1.3.1 Pollution Sources ................................................................................................................................. 3 1.3.2 Drainage Water .................................................................................................................................... 3 1.3.3 Impact 4 1.4 Approach .....................................................................................................................................................4 1.5 Organization of this Report..........................................................................................................................5 2. Existing Water Quality Situation...........................................................................................6 2.1 General.........................................................................................................................................................6 2.2 Sources Contributing to Pollution................................................................................................................7 2.2.1 Industrial Wastewater ......................................................................................................................... 7 2.2.2 Municipal Wastewater ......................................................................................................................... 7 2.2.3 Agricultural Drainage Water................................................................................................................ 9 2.2.4 Navigation............................................................................................................................................ 9 2.2.5 Solid Waste .......................................................................................................................................... 9 2.3 Water Quality Assessment...........................................................................................................................9 2.3.1 Nile River Aswan to Delta Barrage ................................................................................................... 10 2.3.2 The Damietta and Rosetta Branches .................................................................................................. 15 2.3.3 Canals & Rayahs................................................................................................................................ 17 2.3.4 Agricultural Drains in the Delta......................................................................................................... 18 2.4 Prioritization ..............................................................................................................................................21 2.4.1 Strategic Importance of Drains .......................................................................................................... 21 2.4.2 Most Polluted Drains ......................................................................................................................... 23 2.4.3 Management Priorities ....................................................................................................................... 26 3. Effect of New Reclamation Projects on Nile Water Quality ...............................................30 3.1 The Decision Support Model.....................................................................................................................30 3.2 Impacts to Nile Flow System.....................................................................................................................32 3.2.1 Flow Hydrograph............................................................................................................................... 32 3.2.2 Water Quality..................................................................................................................................... 34 4. Current Drain Water Management Practices .......................................................................42 4.1.1 Official Reuse .................................................................................................................................... 42 4.1.2 Local Unofficial Reuse ...................................................................................................................... 47 4.1.3 Intermediate reuse.............................................................................................................................. 47 5. Development of Drain Water Management Strategies ........................................................54 Egypt Water Policy Reform i Nile River Water Quality Management Study 5.1 Diversion of Drain Water ..........................................................................................................................55 5.1.1 Upper Egypt....................................................................................................................................... 56 5.1.2 The Delta............................................................................................................................................ 56 5.2 Case Study – the Berba Drain....................................................................................................................58 5.2.1 Sources of Pollution........................................................................................................................... 59 5.2.2 Quality of Drain Discharge................................................................................................................ 59 5.2.3 Environmental Impact of Drain Discharge ........................................................................................ 59 5.2.4 Proposed Interventions....................................................................................................................... 60 6. Towards Integrated Water Quality Management.................................................................62 6.1 Concept 1: The Development of a Water Quality Information Center (WQIC)........................................63 6.1.1 Step 1: Know Where WQIC is Going ............................................................................................... 65 6.1.2 Step 2: Obtain Staff and Equipment................................................................................................... 65 6.1.3 Step 3: Invest in Consensus Building................................................................................................. 65 6.1.4 Step 4: Start Sharing Information ...................................................................................................... 65 6.1.5 Step 5: Improve Information Dissemination & Decision Support Using Georeferenced Information66 6.1.6 Step 6: Make Georeferenced Information Accessible ....................................................................... 66 6.2 Concept 2: The Development of a Centralized Performance Monitoring Program for all Water Quality Improvement Projects......................................................................................................................................66 6.3 Concept 3: Development of Programs or Interventions for Nile River Protection, Wastewater Treatment, and Infrastructure Management/ Cost Recovery ............................................................................................70 6.4 Concept 4: Decentralization of Water Quality Data Collection