Assessing the Efficiency of Ateel Wastewater Treatment Station and Its Suitability for Rehabilitation Improving Water Quality and Its Safe and Practical Application
Orwa Jaber Houshia *
Department of Chemistry, Arab American University, P.O. Box 240, Jenin, Palestine.
Mohammed Boufaroua
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).
Abdallah Alimari
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).
Nahawand Souqia
National Agricultural Research Center, Jenin, Palestine.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
In regions where water is in short supply, wastewater treatment offers the possibility for the efficient removal of unwanted pollutants and germs so that the water may be used for irrigation. Water scarcity is an old problem in Palestine because of various geographical settings and political turbulence. The problem is compounded by population growth and development. As a result of the increasing demand for water, using alternative options has become a must to meet water needs. The demand for water can be reduced by increasing the efficiency of water use and by making usable sources of water previously considered unusable. One possible supply is ‘wastewater’. This project sets out to treat and reclaim wastewater as a supply of irrigation water and thus enhance crop production. The project results reveal that wastewater from the Ateel wastewater station potentially can be used for irrigating crops. It offers many social and financial benefits for improving the farmers’ sources of revenue. Various parameters were monitored and measured for the Ateel wastewater station and yielded some interesting and promising data.
Keywords: Treated wastewater, irrigation, agriculture, cropping