Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., November 09, 2007 Cheshvan 28, 5768 | | Israel Time: 23:27 (EST+7)
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Last update - 10:00 07/11/2007
A moment before the lights go out
By Amira Hass
tags: electricity cut, Gaza 

Alan Johnston, the BBC corresponded kidnapped in Gaza, related in an interview that at a relatively early stage, he started suffering from all kinds of aches because of the water he drank. This was the same water that the kidnappers drank, but Johnston's unaccustomed body sent warning signals: This is not water that is fit for drinking. And this is the water that reaches most of the taps in the Gaza Strip. Salty, in a few places brackish to contaminated, with an oily consistency. That is clearly felt when bathing.

The reason is an ancient one: overpumping because Gaza must make do with the waters from its aquifer alone. It is as if we were to say to the residents of Be'er Sheva: make do with the water that flows nearby. The water sources in the rest of the country are not for you.

Over the last few years, there have been some improvised private and public solutions. Private water purification plants in homes and commercial companies that sell purified water.
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The municipalities, for their part, set up large brackish water desalination facilities and several central taps. Thousands of people go there daily to fill up jerry-cans with water that will not taste like it came from a puddle and will not cause diarrhea, infections, kidney problems and who knows what else.

The electricity and fuel supply to Gaza has already been reduced to below the level of basic human needs. An additional reduction will affect the above solutions to the water problem, and beyond. "To darken Gaza," as some of the security experts among us have recently proposed, does not end merely with darkened homes at night. You don't have to be an expert in public health to realize that it would create an endless chain reaction of public health problems and environmental blights.

Today, around a year and a half after Israel bombed the transformer station in Gaza, only 193 megawatts out of the 240 or so it needs is supplied to the Strip.

The water network is the biggest energy consumer in the Gaza Strip: it requires approximately 25 megawatts of the 240 megawatts the Gaza Strip needs.

The 135 wells across the Gaza Strip that supply water, poor quality as it may be, cannot function if the electricity and diesel fuel supply is cut further. The same is true of sewage treatment plants.

Already now, each day, no water is supplied to around 15 percent of the Strip's residents. Each area receives water only every other day. The water is pumped electrically and stored in home reservoirs on every rooftop. Power outages are frequent.

When a power outage in a given area occurs on a day when the municipalities channel water to it, the houses are denied water for three, and sometimes even four, days.

The water network also needs around 150,000 liters of diesel fuel per month. The sewage system needs around 100,000 liters.

The Coastal Municipalities Water Utility, the supplier of sewage and water services in the Gaza Strip obtained only 60,000 liters of diesel fuel in October, because the quantity of fuels sold from Israel to the Gaza Strip was reduced. And this is before "the darkening" proposed by Ehud Barak and Matan Vilnai.

The water company must choose to favor the sewage system over the water system. As the deputy CEO of the company, Maher Najjar, explains: The collapse of the sewage system entails a bigger humanitarian threat.

Just imagine a huge flood of sewage. Hence, for example, the seven wells in the northern Gaza Strip that are diesel operated were allocated only 2,000 liters of diesel in early November, instead of the 10,500 liters needed to operate them.

Even before the lights go out, Israel is prohibiting the entry of raw materials into the Gaza Strip.

No one is talking any more about dozens of development projects that have consequently been frozen, such as the one to desalinate well water that serves the residents of the El Bureij refugee camp. Let them continue drinking the water that endangers their health.

Raw material is not the only thing Israel is barring entry of: Vital spare parts are also being barred entry. In the Gaza City sewage treatment facility there are several minor malfunctions.

However, Israel is barring the entry of the spare parts needed to repair them. Sewage undergoes only minimal treatment before it flows into the sea. And the sea, of course, doesn't stop at the Erez or Rafiah checkpoints.
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  2.   Appalling. 11:28  |  Maureen Ann 07/11/07
  3.   haaretz and the problems of ideology 11:38  |  victor hardman 07/11/07
  4.   Hamas - to #5 Maureen Ann 11:41  |  Gabe 07/11/07
  5.   Hamass is to blame. 11:43  |  Benjamina 07/11/07
  6.   HESS cut the crap with the Johnstone story 11:47  |  Ari ben Yisrael 07/11/07
  7.   Poor Pals, I don`t cry for them Mr. Amira Hass 11:49  |  maurice 07/11/07
  8.   #6 Gabe. You deserve better. 11:58  |  Maureen Ann 07/11/07
  9.   No shortage 11:59  |  GYBOR 07/11/07
  10.   Perhaps the kind, decent Iaraelis (if there are any)...... 12:22  |  Clickfool 07/11/07
  11.   # 9 Maurice, Get a life--cry for Sderot... 12:24  |  Dutch 07/11/07
  12.   A moment before the lights go out 12:26  |  Marlene 07/11/07
  13.   To ClickFOOL 12:35  |  Gabe 07/11/07
  14.   #5 victor paul hardhead 12:49  |  Labhras 07/11/07
  15.   Enough Supplies to Shoot Kassams 12:49  |  Jane 07/11/07
  16.   Israels worst enemy is Darwin 12:51  |  Natallie Durson 07/11/07
  17.   THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY ISRAEL AFRAID OF IRAN 12:55  |  indrajaya 07/11/07
  18.   To Natallie Durson - evolution 13:04  |  Gabe 07/11/07
  19.   All should boycott Israeli and US products. 13:12  |  Truthteller 07/11/07
  20.   CFOOLYou mean the Pals need it for the movie production facitlity 13:23  |  PETER S.M. 07/11/07
  21.   To Gabe 13:24  |  Natallie Durson 07/11/07
  22.   Loins of Amira cherish thirsty Qassam-shooting 13:28  |  Absolute Sweden 07/11/07
  23.   For Peter SM, on "peace messages" # 25 13:42  |  Clickfool 07/11/07
  24.   TRUTHTELLER.The world should boycott Global Jihad as seen by Euro 13:45  |  PETER S.M. 07/11/07
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  26.   Iran can supply them with power 13:57  |  Herbert Kaine 07/11/07
  27.   Iran can supply them with power 13:57  |  Herbert Kaine 07/11/07
  28.   This not right,in fact it is diturbing 14:17  |  Snake Oilsalesman 07/11/07
  29.   #14labarse the phoney irishman from new york clocks in 14:38  |  victor hardman 07/11/07
  30.   A moment too soon 14:46  |  Dany Toren 07/11/07
  31.   Amnesty .Guns for water. 14:54  |  Stephen. 07/11/07
  32.   Jane , Still stuck in blaming the victims. 14:57  |  Dutch 07/11/07
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  34.   Palestinians prefer? 14:59  |  Joe Momma 07/11/07
  35.   #33 QUESTION 15:22  |  patiently waiting 07/11/07
  36.   Maureen Ann (#8) what are you talking about? 15:30  |  Gil 07/11/07
  37.   Amira Hess 15:36  |  Joel Busner 07/11/07
  38.   For "Victor Hardman" # 29 15:37  |  Clickfool 07/11/07
  39.   Gaza: The New Hollywood 15:50  |  Tony Anthony 07/11/07
  40.   Jane , Re: Still stuck in blaming the victims. 15:51  |  Dutch 07/11/07
  41.   Hamas to blame 15:57  |  Drew 07/11/07
  42.   Too Bad 15:57  |  Ron 07/11/07
  43.   #35. Billions went to Ali Baba & 40 thieves. 15:57  |  Stephen. 07/11/07
  44.   warrenpoint massacre irish catholics 16:01  |  papal bull 07/11/07
  45.   I am happy that Israelis are happy 16:05  |  Chris Linthwaite 07/11/07
  46.   You can always count on Amira 16:10  |  Gil 07/11/07
  47.   AMIRA, ISRAELI OFFICIALS NEED TO BE TAKEN IN CHAINS TO THE HAGUE 16:25  |  Dutch 07/11/07
  48.   Jewish Collective Punishment = Warsaw Ghetto 16:25  |  POP 07/11/07
  49.   #2 Maureen Ann - Yes, you are appalling 16:39  |  * BEN JABO 07/11/07
  50.   Amira the Angry Jewess-Still? 16:45  |  Gabe1 07/11/07
  51.   strategy... 16:49  |  Tess 07/11/07
  52.   #25 Atilla 16:49  |  * BEN JABO 07/11/07
  53.   #32 DEMENTED DUTCH 16:51  |  * BEN JABO 07/11/07
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  55.   A FRACTION OF HAMAS TERROR WOULD FUND BOTTLED WATER FOR DECADES 16:55  |  Mitch Iginer 07/11/07
  56.   Amira, go to the Israeli Supreme Court 16:59  |  Tosefta 07/11/07
  57.   Guess What? 17:01  |  David Samson 07/11/07
  58.   #38 clickfool has no mirrors to see he is a fake cowardly poster 17:06  |  victor hardman 07/11/07
  59.   just maybe this is a good moment for them to stop waging a war ? 17:23  |  felix 07/11/07
  60.   HASS -ve chalilah & G.LEVY too. 17:30  |  Jordan 07/11/07
  61.   Commenced Genocide 17:33  |  Gemayel 07/11/07
  62.   to #2: Appalling Maureen Ann 17:36  |  felix 07/11/07
  63.   There`s only one thing Gazans are low on. 17:39  |  Mark 07/11/07
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  71.   Maureen and Friends 18:02  |  Yakov 07/11/07
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  73.   dear #11 Dutch, you are very lucky not to be... 18:08  |  maurice 07/11/07
  74.   to#11 Dutch, Don`t hesitate, come and visit me 18:10  |  maurice 07/11/07
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  76.   Clickfool, et al 18:13  |  Yakov 07/11/07
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  78.   # 32 Dutch 18:34  |  Mordechai Ben Tzur 07/11/07
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  80.   Dutch(?) 18:36  |  Yakov