West Bank and Gaza - North Gaza Emergency Sewage Treatment Project

The North Gaza Emergency Sewage Treatment Project aims to (a) mitigate the immediate and impending health, environmental and safety threats to the communities surrounding the poorly treated and rapidly growing sewage lake in the Beit Lahia area of northern Gaza; and to (b) contribute to the provision of a satisfactory long-term solution for the treatment of wastewater in the Northern Gaza Governorate. The proposed project would finance a closely integrated two-part program to deal with the impending threats and longer-term wastewater treatment needs, as follows: Part A is designed to drain the lake and thus alleviate the environmental and health threats associated with the existing wastewater treatment plant at Beit Lahia. It comprises two components. Component 1, Beit Lahia- Jabalva Effluent Transfer, consists of (1) constructing a terminal pumping station at the site of the existing Beit Lahia wastewater treatment plant; (2) constructing about 8 kilometers of ductile iron sewage pipeline to transfer the effluent from the existing lake to the infiltration basins; (3) constructing nine infiltration basins with a capacity of 35,000 cubic meters per day; and (4) operating and maintaining costs related to the new infiltration basins, for 24 months. Component 2, Technical Assistance for Part A, consists of (1) supporting the Project Management Unit during the construction period of Component; (2) construction supervision costs; (3) update of the existing Environmental Assessment, carried out in 1999; and, (4) costs related to the implementation of the environmental monitoring plan and detailed studies to be carried out for remedial works to restore the existing Beit Lahia wastewater treatment site. Part B will contribute to the provision of the medium/longer-term wastewater treatment solution for the whole of North Gaza. It comprises two components. Component 3, Construction of the North Gaza Wastewater Treatment Plant, consisting of (1) building the wastewater treatment plant; (2) providing materials and specialized labor for the operation and maintenance for two years after commissioning; and, and (3) implementing remedial works on the existing Beit Lahia wastewater treatment plant site, including the effluent lake. Component 4, Technical Assistance for the Implementation of Part B, consisting of (1) supporting the Project Management Unit during the construction period of Component 3; (2) construction supervision costs; and (3) implementation of the environmental monitoring plan during the construction period of Component 3.