The Water Authority announced that current estimates of the extent of losses incurred by the water sector during the ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip exceed 80% in water sector facilities, including wells, pumping stations, desalination plants, distribution networks, and sewage plants.

The Water Authority explained, in a statement issued today, Tuesday, that the continued obstruction of the operation of the remaining water facilities has led to a severe shortage in the water supply, the flow of sewage floods into the streets, neighborhoods, and displaced persons’ gatherings, and the formation of catastrophic risks to public health and the environment.

Water wells:

International and UN reports confirmed that the production capacity of water wells has decreased sharply, reaching only about 10-20% of what it was before the aggression. This is mainly due to the damage to the wells, infrastructure, and water facilities, as well as the power outage needed to pump water from the wells and operate the water facilities, and the lack of fuel.

Targeting desalination plants:

The Water Authority warned of the continued shutdown of desalination plants, which are the only main source of drinking water, as a result of targeting them directly or their surroundings, and as a result of the interruption of energy supplies.

She pointed out that the three main stations that were targeted are: the North (Sudanese) Desalination Station, which has stopped working since the beginning of the aggression due to the extensive damage it sustained and the presence of the occupation forces inside and around it, and their deliberate conversion of it into a military barracks, and the Central Desalination Station, whose productivity has decreased due to damage to the wells feeding it, which are located on the seashore, as a result of the aggression.

She pointed out that the power supply had stopped, as the quantities of water produced had reached about 2,000 m3/day, and finally the southern desalination plant, whose productivity had decreased due to the power supply stoppage, as the quantities of water produced had reached 2,800 m3/day, but after it was connected to the electricity line currently, its quantities produced had been increased and it is still in trial operation.

Emergency interventions

In its statement, it explained that since the beginning of the aggression until today, its crews have been making strenuous efforts to provide as much water as possible to citizens, especially to shelters and displacement sites, and to reduce the flow of wastewater between populated areas to reduce the risks of the spread of serious epidemics and diseases.

She pointed out that she was able to implement many interventions, most notably: maintaining the three water connections and the main lines from Mekorot, as these connections represent 58% of the water supply in the Gaza Strip, implementing many interventions to maintain the damaged sections of the main and sub-lines, and following up on pumping work from these connections.

She noted that the amount of water currently supplied from Mekorot connections is 37,500 cubic metres per day.

She stressed that maintenance work was carried out on the main lines and water networks, with the aim of increasing water supplies from available sources, expanding the scope of service to densely populated areas, and raising the operational efficiency of the system to the minimum level in emergencies in Khan Yunis, Gaza, and North Gaza.

She pointed out that work is underway to support the operation and maintenance of the central and southern desalination plants, including providing fuel, purchasing spare parts, generators and solar panels, as the production of the two plants has reached approximately 5,000 (m³/day), i.e. at a rate of 62% of their production capacity before the aggression.

In the northern Gaza Strip, it said it had transported and distributed fuel to water facilities, which contributed to the operation of 60-65 wells, providing approximately 40,000 cubic meters per day, and rehabilitating and activating partially and completely damaged water wells, including the maintenance and reactivation of 6 wells in Jabalia, and following up on work and coordination with WASH institutions for urgent maintenance of a group of central wells, which were destroyed. In addition, it coordinated with

WASH institutions identify filling points on the Mekorot water line, and distribute it, through mobile tankers, to areas where there are no water networks and shelters.

As for interventions in the sanitation sector:

She explained that a share of fuel was allocated to operate a number of main sewage pumping stations to drain stagnant sewage water from residential neighborhoods, to prevent the spread of serious diseases, especially among children, including the Sheikh Radwan Pond Pump, the Baqqara Pumping Station, and the Asqoula Pumping Station in Gaza City, the Abu Rashid Pond Pump in Jabalia, to drain them of sewage water and treat floods. In addition to the Amal Pump in Khan Yunis.

She pointed out that work is underway to assess the damage to the sewage treatment plants in Khan Yunis and Al-Bureij.

Fuel crisis and warning of wells stopping work permanently

The Water Authority warned that the occupation's continued prevention and obstruction of the entry of necessary materials, most notably fuel, which, if the entry is continued, will lead to the current water wells stopping working, and thus the lack of water, which is originally in small quantities.

She expressed her concerns about the shutdown of more than 95% of water and sanitation facilities in the North Gaza Governorate due to the lack of fuel, as it is currently unable to deliver and distribute the fuel required to operate water wells and sewage pumping stations located in Jabalia, Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun, where most of the population still lives.

In this regard, she stressed the need for effective intervention by the international community and UN organizations to pressure the Israeli side to ensure the entry of the fuel needed to operate water and sanitation facilities, noting that after strenuous efforts, she was able, during this week, in cooperation with partners, to enter approximately 21,700 liters that were distributed to water wells in the Gaza Governorate, Sheikh Radwan Pool, and Al-Baqara Station, for pumping sewage water, bringing the total amount of fuel entered since the beginning of the aggression to approximately 450 thousand liters, which are very small quantities, compared to the actual daily need to operate water facilities in the best possible way.

At the end of its statement, the Water Authority warned that what we are witnessing today in the Gaza Strip is the absence of the most important component of life, which is water, which no longer reaches the minimum recommended by the World Health Organization for human survival, which is 15 liters per citizen per day, saying: Today we are forced to work in a relief manner to provide the minimum amount of water.