RAMALLAH (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The Palestinian Water Authority announced on Tuesday that its crews have begun, since ceasefire came into effect last Sunday, a rapid field survey of water and sewage facilities in the northern Gaza Strip, which witnessed a tight siege throughout the aggression.
The Water Authority said in a statement that “the results of the survey revealed massive destruction in the northern areas, as more than 70 percent of them were completely destroyed, including about 25 water wells.”
“The current destruction has caused a complete collapse of the water supply system in northern Gaza, which has been suffering from a severe shortage of water over the past year, as it has decreased to very low rates of about three liters per day per person, in addition to the major losses incurred by the infrastructure with the collapse of the sewage pumping and treatment systems,” it added.
The Authority underlined that “the evaluation process included the central pumping station in Beit Lahia, which is still standing despite the direct targeting, with severe malfunctions in the mechanical and electromechanical components of the pump and transmission line.”
The Authority explained that “over the past year, it worked to support the operation of about 35 water wells and a main pumping station in the North Gaza Governorate by supplying them with the necessary fuel to operate them, in addition to following up on repair and maintenance operations on an ongoing basis in coordination with partner agencies.”
The efforts included “completing maintenance and repair work on the flood line related to the sewage station in Jabalia and reactivating it as well as dealing with the damage that affected a group of wells that were completely or partially destroyed during the aggression,” according to the statement.
The Water Authority confirmed that it “resumed supplying fuel to nine groundwater wells, which are the only ones that are operable in the North Gaza Governorate after the massive destruction the area has witnessed.
