REPUBLIC OF LEBANON FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY Council for Development and Federal Institute for Geosciences Reconstruction and Natural Resources CDR BGR Beirut Hannover TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROJECT NO.: 2008.2162.9 Protection of Jeita Spring SPECIAL REPORT NO. 16 Hazards to Groundwater and Assessment of Pollution Risk in the Jeita Spring Catchment Raifoun May 2013 German-Lebanese Technical Cooperation Project Protection of Jeita Spring Special Report No. 16: Hazards to Groundwater and Assessment of Pollution Risk in the Jeita Spring Catchment Hazards to Groundwater and Assessment of Pollution Risk in the Jeita Spring Catchment Author: Eng. Renata Raad, Dr. Armin Margane (both BGR) Commissioned by: Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung, BMZ) Project: Protection of Jeita Spring BMZ-No.: 2008.2162.9 BGR-Archive No.: xxxxxxx Date of issuance: May 2013 No. of pages: 209 page II German-Lebanese Technical Cooperation Project Protection of Jeita Spring Special Report No. 16: Hazards to Groundwater and Assessment of Pollution Risk in the Jeita Spring Catchment Table of Contents 0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................... 1 1 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................... 3 2 SCOPE OF WORK .................................................................................................. 4 3 STUDY AREA .......................................................................................................... 6 3.1 GEOLOGY ....................................................................................................................6 3.2 CLIMATE ....................................................................................................................11 3.3 HYDROLOGY ..............................................................................................................15 3.3.1 Rivers ..................................................................................................................... 15 3.3.2 Dams ...................................................................................................................... 17 3.4 GROUNDWATER SYSTEM............................................................................................18 3.4.1 Springs ................................................................................................................... 18 3.4.2 Wells....................................................................................................................... 22 3.5 WATER SUPPLY INFRASTRUCTURE .............................................................................22 3.6 URBAN CONTEXT .......................................................................................................26 3.7 VULNERABILITY TO CONTAMINATION ...........................................................................33 4 GROUNDWATER PROTECTION ZONES ............................................................ 34 4.1 LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND PERMITTING SYSTEM ...........................................................38 5 HAZARDS TO GROUNDWATER.......................................................................... 39 5.1 NON-POINT SOURCES ................................................................................................41 5.1.1 Wastewater ............................................................................................................ 41 5.1.2 Agriculture .............................................................................................................. 55 5.1.3 Urban runoff (stormwater) ...................................................................................... 74 5.2 POINT SOURCES ........................................................................................................77 5.2.1 Feedlots (Livestock and Poultry Production).......................................................... 79 5.2.2 Slaughterhouses .................................................................................................... 87 5.2.3 Quarries.................................................................................................................. 94 5.2.3 Dumpsites and Waste Management ................................................................... 101 5.2.4 Industries and Factories ....................................................................................... 115 5.2.5 Contamination by Petroleum Products and By-products...................................... 142 5.2.6 Wells..................................................................................................................... 154 5.2.7 Healthcare Sector: Hospitals and Healthcare Clinics........................................... 158 5.2.8 Cemeteries ........................................................................................................... 167 5.2.9 Army Posts and Explosives.................................................................................. 168 6 STAKEHOLDERS................................................................................................ 171 7 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 171 8 RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................................ 177 page III German-Lebanese Technical Cooperation Project Protection of Jeita Spring Special Report No. 16: Hazards to Groundwater and Assessment of Pollution Risk in the Jeita Spring Catchment 9 REFERENCES..................................................................................................... 180 ANNEX 1: LIST OF MAIN MUNICIPALITIES OF THE JEITA SPRING GROUNDWATER CATCHMENT AREA ........................................................................................... 186 ANNEX 2: QUESTIONNAIRES USED FOR THE FIELD ASSESSMENT ........................ 188 SOURCE OF WATER __________________................................................................ 193 ANNEX 3: PERSISTENT PESTICIDES OF HIGH INFILTRATION CAPACITY ............... 196 ANNEX 4: LIST OF THE PESTICIDES BANNED FOLLOWING RATIFICATION OF ROTTERDAM CONVENTION IN 1998:............................................................... 197 ANNEX 5 : PESTICIDES BANNED IN LEBANON ........................................................... 198 ANNEX 6: LIST OF THE PUBLIC DISPENSARIES LOCATED IN THE JEITA CATCHMENT....................................................................................................... 201 ANNEX 7: LIST OF ILLEGAL DUMPSITES IN THE JEITA CATCHMENT................ 202 ANNEX 8: INDUSTRIES IN THE JEITA CATCHMENT.................................................... 204 ANNEX 9: CARS REPAIR WORKSHOPS IN THE JEITA CATCHMENT........................ 205 ANNEX 10: FEEDLOTS AND SLAUGHTERHOUSES IN THE JEITA CATCHMENT ..... 206 ANNEX 11: GAS STATIONS IN THE JEITA CATCHMENT............................................. 207 ANNEX 12: QUARRIES IN THE JEITA CATCHMENT..................................................... 209 List of Figures Figure 1: Karstification in the Mdairej Formation (C2b) at Faqra ........................................... 7 Figure 2: Scarce vegetation and soil cover on the C4 lead to high infiltration ....................... 8 Figure 3: Satellite image (Google earth) showing the dolines in the Sannine Formation (C4) ............................................................................................................................. 8 Figure 4: Hydrogeological classification in Jeita catchment groundwater contribution zone of Jeita spring (MARGANE et al., 2013)................................................................... 9 Figure 5: Geological map of the groundwater catchment of Jeita spring (MARGANE et al., 2013) .................................................................................................................. 10 Figure 6: Snow cover on the Upper Cretaceous plateau in the groundwater catchment of Jeita spring ......................................................................................................... 12 Figure 7: Direct groundwater recharge in dolines during snowmelt in Upper Cretaceous plateau of Jeita spring ........................................................................................ 12 Figure 8: Areas in Jeita catchment mountain ranges exceeding 1,600 m ........................... 13 Figure 9: Typical distribution of snow cover in the Levant ................................................... 14 Figure 10: Hydrology of the Jeita spring groundwater catchment........................................ 16 Figure 11: View of Chabrouh Dam from Mzaar.................................................................... 17 Figure 12: Groundwater flow velocities determined by tracer tests ..................................... 21 Figure 13: Water supply network in the Jeita catchment ..................................................... 25 Figure 14: Restaurants and touristic resorts assessed by BGR in Jeita catchment with highlight to the GW vulnerability......................................................................... 29 Figure 15: Intercontinental Hotel & resort at Aayoun es Simane located above Labbane spring.................................................................................................................. 31 page IV German-Lebanese Technical Cooperation Project