Entry from Directory of Selected Israeli Water-related Projects

TITLE:	A study of the environmental protection and the ecological impact aspects of waste water recycling and reuse in the environmentally sensitive transboundary mountain aquifer areas shared by Israelis and Palestinians
PROBLEM:	The recycling and reuse of wastewater can serve for the Israelis and Palestinians as the main sustainable source of water for agricultural development based on the estimated population growth over a period of 30 years. However, wastewater recycling and reuse carries with it numerous potential environmental health, ecological and environmental pollution risks which must be carefully assayed and evaluated in the planning and the development of a reuse program. Serious problems of groundwater pollution by wastewater borne chemicals or pathogens microorganisms may result from improperly controlled wastewater recycling and reuse. This is particularly so in the highly permeable, pollution prone, recharge areas of the karstic, limestone/ dolomite mountain aquifer which is the main transboundary water source shared by Israelis and Palestinians.
OBJECTIVES:	Preparation of an ecological impact assessment and an environmental monitoring and control program on the environmental aspects of wastewater recycling and reuse in the transboundary mountain areas shared by Israelis and Palestinians. Suggestion of environmental standards and guidelines as well as a legal and administrative framework for joint environmental management and control.
APPROACH:	Conduction of studies by joint interdisciplinary teams on the various topics of the project. Holding of a series of joint Israeli-Palestinian academic workshops on the subject of the project at various stages; to report on progress and concepts developed, and to receive feedback from academic, technical and administrative authorities from both sides; and, with the help of international experts, to serve as training programs for technical and policy making staff. The project is planned to be carried out in two phases. The tasks of the first, 3 year long, phase include field survey and mapping of current pollution sources; survey of environmentally sensitive areas; development of relevant hydrological and environmental data bases; development and calibration of relevant groundwater pollution models; environmental monitoring for follow- up and model validation; estimation of wastewater supply and of demand for wastewater recycling up to year 2025, and development of reuse guidelines and options. The tasks of the second phase will include the preparation of preliminary engineering layouts for a master plan of a wastewater recycling and reuse system; an economic analysis of costs and benefits of a wastewater recycling and reuse program; preparation of preliminary proposals of legal and administrative models for the joint management and environmental control of the program, and development of a sustainable joint Israeli-Palestinian environmental monitoring and control system. The following dates pertain to the first phase of the project.
BEGINNING DATE:	1.1.1995
ENDING DATE:	31.12.1997
COMMENTS ON DATES:
CURRENT PROGRESS AND INTERIM RESULTS:	The following tasks are nearing completion: field survey and mapping of land-use and current pollution sources; survey of environmentally sensitive areas and development of relevant hydrological and environmental data bases
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR NAME:	(1) Hillel Shuval; (2) Jad Isaac
ADDRESS:	(1) Hebrew University, Division of Environmental Sciences, School of Applied Science, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904; (2) Palestine Consultancy Group, Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem-Arij-Bethlehem
TELEPHONE:	(1) 972-2-6584151; (2) 972-2-281822
TELEFAX:	(1) 972-2-741889; (2) 972-2-741889
EMAIL:	TITLE: Development of methods for a quick warning system against groundwater pollution in Israel
PROBLEM:	Groundwater is the major source of Israel’s freshwater. Aquifers in densely populated areas with intensive economic activity are susceptible to chemical pollution which may often be practically irreversible. The present methods of monitoring register groundwater pollution after it has already occurred. Hence the need for an early warning system against anticipated pollution.
OBJECTIVES:	Design of a national early warning system on anticipated pollution based on novel optic detectors.
APPROACH:	Investigation of chemical detection methods with optic fibers, development of the analytic method and the required equipment, construction of a prototype and evaluation of its performance in the field.
BEGINNING DATE:	1.7.1994
ENDING DATE:	1.7.1997
CURRENT PROGRESS:	The first year of study has shown that the proposed method is efficient in immediate detection of organic pollutants in water. However, one of the conclusions was the need for a more sensitive detector both in the range and in temporal resolution. The second year was devoted to the construction of a new detector and to the investigation of the effect of hydrosoles on the florescence of pollutants in the water. A way was found to reduce this effect.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:	Israel Shechter
ADDRESS:	Faculty of Chemistry, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel
TELEPHONE:	972-4-8292579
TELEFAX:	972-4-220133
EMAIL:

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