Palestinian / German Development Co-operation


WATER SUPPLY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Jerusalem Water Untertaking (JWU), Ramallah- District
GTZ Project No. 93.2257.9

PROJECT HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

In order to improve the existing water supply situation in the Ramallah- District where available sources of water were far from fulfilling the minimum needs of the district’s population, Jerusalem Water Untertaking (JWU) submitted a request to the German Government to fund drilling of new and rehabilitation of existing deep wells. In response, a GTZ project appraisal mission was sent to Ramallah in May 1993. In the course of the mission JWU and GTZ realised that a comprehensive development project including technical assistance should be considered without ignoring that drilling and rehabilitation of wells as requested is of utmost importance.

A joint planning workshop was held in Ramallah in June 1993 in order to prepare a project proposal which includes the scope of the project, expected results and required resources. The project proposal was submitted by GTZ to the German Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) and the approval for project implementation along with the necessary funds (about 7.3 millions Deutsch Marks) was received by end of 1993.

The Water Supply Development Project currently implemented by Jerusalem Water Untertaking with GTZ support is an ambitious attempt towards fundamental institutional changes and infrastructural improvement. The project also includes co-ordination activities in the field of wastewater and solid waste management in the Ramallah- District.

The first and present phase of the project ends by end of 1997. There is a clear need to extend the technical assistance beyond 1997, specially when it comes to the integration of wastewater services into JWU’s scope of services.

The project shall contribute to improve the living and environmental health situation of the population of Ramallah- District. Therefore, the objective of the project is to meet more efficiently the drinking water requirements in the Ramallah- District, to reduce the dependancy on purchased water and to promote comprehensive sanitation and solid waste management.

In full co-operation and co-ordination with the relevant JWU key staff the following results and areas of intervention have been identified as project components:

• The water quantity produced and delivered by JWU is to be increased.
• The water losses are to be reduced below the present level of 25 %.
• The distribution network is to be extended to other villages (third party funds).
• The institutional capacity, management and staff qualification is to be improved.
• The awareness of the population concerning water conservation is to be raised.
• Integrated plans for wastewater and solid waste management are to be prepared. (including use of third party funds)

The German contribution to the project consists of technical assistance, long term advisory and short term consultancy services as well as capital investment for the construction of new and rehabilitation of existing deep wells.

Drilling new deep wells and rehabilitation of existing wells:

The implementation of the project has been initiated since May 1994. The first six months of the project duration was totally devoted to drilling the substitute well Ein Samia No. 2a. To overcome the water shortage in the Ramallah- District, the well was connected to the water supply system on a temporary basis mid 1995 by using an existing submersible pump with a capacity of 42 cbm/hour. During the past six months the well has been extensively tested and is now equiped and in full operation with a capacity of 165 cbm/hour, which is well above the expected capacity of 120 cbm/hour.

Ein Senia borehole No. 5 which was drilled down to 500 m depth had to be abandoned due to poor groundwater flow. Afterward, two potential well sites were identified by a GTZ specialist in December, 1995 one of which is located in Ein Samia and the other one is in the Ein Senia area. JWU and GTZ are now in the process of preparing a new drilling project for Ein Samia well No. 6, after a drilling liscence was obtained a year ago. Ein Samia well No. 3 has recently been rehabilitated and it’s capacity has been raised from 140 cbm/hour to 185 cbm/hour.

In order to get a broader picture of the main geological faults and fractures in the region, a stereoscopic analysis and evaluation of recent aerial photographs of the Ramallah- District has been carried out.

In it’s efforts to optimise and economise well and pump operations JWU has managed to introduce a modern remote control and communication system for the wells, booster pumps, main pumping stations and reservoirs. Development, programming and installation were made "in-house" by JWU at a fraction of the cost of a "turn-key" installation.

Although the unaccounted-for water is 22 %, JWU untertakes continuous efforts to monitor and reduce the water losses. No active leakage control takes place so far. Therefore, computerised leakage control and pressure management models are presently being introduced by GTZ Consultants in order to cut down the water losses on a systematic basis. A case study on water losses carried out at JWU showed clearly that a major part of the water losses occur due to faulty and inaccurate metres. JWU therefore intends to replace the old metre test bench by a modern one which will enable the metre section to test the water metres efficiently and reguarly. The new test bench will be purchased from project funds.

The institutional capacity of JWU is best illustrated in a report called "Performance & Prospects" that has been published in December, 1995. Although, JWU’s performance and absorption capacity is better than other water departments in Palestine still there is a need for improvement. Based upon the national policy set out by the Palestinian Water Authority, PWA, and the outcome of a recent Sewerage Masterplan for Ramallah-District, wastewater services should be integrated into the scope of services of JWU in the future. This integration and transition would be a fundamental institutional change and requires careful process- oriented corporate planning, co-operation and co-ordination between all involved institutions as well as governmental support. As a first step, Al Bireh Municipality and JWU are presently seeking ways and means to collect sewage fees through the JWU billing system.

JWU plans to revise and upgrade it’s personnel management and management information systems as well as the financial procedures in 1997.

JWU plays a major role in training of water sector staff in Palestine. Two training contracts were awared to JWU by UNDP in the past three years. Also and as part of the German financed water sector training programme for Palestine, JWU has been nominated as an official local partner for the Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft, CDG. In order to prepare and manage these training courses, a Palestinian "water training board" has been established with CDG and GTZ and JWU represented in this board. The programme is in it’s third year of implementation and is so far quite successful. However, based on the above mentioned training experience, JWU recognised that training in the water sector should be more co-ordinated and organised. Therefore, a comprehensive national strategy for training in the Palestinian water sector has been developed by a GTZ specialist in co-operation with JWU and the Palestinian Water Authority, PWA. The project proposal contained in this report is supposed to be forwarded to the Donor community by the PWA.

JWU has played a major role in establishing and managing the public awareness campaigns initiated by UNDP/Water Resources Action Programme (WRAP) in 1994. However, since end of 1995 this programme did not continue on a regular basis and JWU has ideas to set up it’s own awareness programme in the future.

As regional autonomous water supply utility in the Ramallah- District, JWU has a vital interest to protect and safeguard it’s water resources. The need for action in the field of wastewater and solid waste management was highlighted in the 1993 project planning workshop and JWU assumed responsibility to co-ordinate and facilitate activities in these fields. A regional steering committee was established in which the main municipalities and villages and representatives of External Support Agencies are represented. A consensus was reached among the members that wastewater and solid waste management should be looked at as a regional issue. A study on the existing solid waste management systems in the Ramallah- District was carried out on behalf of the steering committee. With regard to regional solid waste management, development is still blocked by disputes over the potential landfill site in the Deir Debwan area.

Initiated by JWU and UNDP and in co-ordination with GTZ a Sewerage Masterplan Study for the Ramallah- District (funded by FINIDA) has been finalised. For the purpose of supervison and guidance to the consultant, a national steering committee was established under the chairmanship of PWA and with different ministries, UNDP and JWU/GTZ represented in this committee. The study clearly calls for major investment in the sewerage infrastructure as well as for institutional integration of water supply and wastewater services.

Due to it’s unique history and legal status as an autonomous water supply utility and it’s performance, JWU serves now as a model utility for the establishment of similar utilities in whole of Palestine. It’s active role has a substantial impact on water sector development in Palestine.

Although ahead of other areas in Palestine, Ramallah- District and JWU require more capital investment in order to maintain, improve and extend the water supply infrastructure. JWU has the capacity to absorb and has plans ready to implement such investment projects. The following are the areas for investment:

• Drilling of new deep wells in Ein Senia and Ein Samia areas.
• Extension of water supply networks to villages that are not yet connected
• Rehabilitation and upgrading of existing networks and main lines.

     1.  GTZ Project Appraisal Report 06/93
         (GTZ- Internal Report)

     2.  JWU/GTZ - Work Programme 11/12-94 /01/95

     3.  JWU/GTZ - Plan of Operation 02/95 - 10/97

     4.  Ein Senia Borehole No. 5
         Evaluation of it’s Suitability for Municipal Water Supply for Ramallah-District
         Dr. Amjad Aliewi and Rainer Keller, 03/1995

     5.  Solid Waste Management and Disposal in the Ramallah- District
         Mohammed Said Hmaidi, 07/1995

     6.  JWU - Performance & Prospects
         JWU Management & Senior Staff, 12/1995

     7.  Report on the Identification of Potential Well Locations
         in Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron and Jenin Districts
         Hans Schrِter and Ernst Dِring, 01/1996

     8.  Ein Samia Well Field - Test Pumping, Well Development and Evaluation of 	Potential    
         Well Locations using Aerial Photographs.
         Dr. Amjad Aliewi & Sayel Wishahi, 08/1996

     9.  Strategy for a Systematic Approach to Training in the Palestinian Water and
         Sanitation Sector. Study on behalf of JWU and PWA.
         Tony Richards, 08/1996

     10. JWU/CDG - Water Sector Training Programme Palestine
         Training Course Programmes 1995 - 1996 - 1997

     11. The Application of the BABE (Bursts & Background Estimates)Concepts to Water
              Distribution System Leakage Management in the Ramallah- District.	
         (4 Volumes incl. EXEL Programmes)
         Stephen Myers Assoc. & Allan Lambert, 01/02/1997

     12. Sewerage Masterplan for Ramallah- District
         FINIDA/UNDP in Co-operation with PWA & JWU, 03/1997

Forthcoming:

PROJECT ADDRESSES

Jerusalem Water Undertaking (JWU)   Ernst Dِring
General Manager Abdelkarim Asa’d    GTZ Water & Sanitation Advisor
P.O.Box 337, Ramallah               P.O.Box 55341, East- Jerusalem
Tel. No. +972-2-995-6551            Tel./Fax No. +972-2-583-0383
Fax No.  +972-2-995-4555            Mobile Phone +972-50-327134
E-Mailwebmaster@jwu.org               GTZ Project Office Tel. +972-50-245034
Internet:  http://www.jwu.org

Ramallah, March 1997