Water Authority investing NIS 385m. in sewage infrastructure, to enable housing construction

New sewage infrastructure will particularly serve housing units in the periphery.

By SHARON UDASIN
Tap water [illustrative] (photo credit: INIMAGE)
Tap water [illustrative]
(photo credit: INIMAGE)
The Water Authority will be investing NIS 385 million to upgrade sewage treatment facilities and transmission systems, enabling the construction of tens of thousands of homes around the country, the authority announced on Sunday.
The new infrastructure will particularly serve housing units in the periphery.
In addition to providing treatment directly for these homes, the facilities will curb serious environmental hazards, including the sewage flowing into Israel from Palestinian villages in the West Bank, according to the authority.
“Recent decisions to invest NIS 385m. in the establishment and upgrading of major wastewater treatment plants will advance the water sector to an even higher level, provide the country’s farmers with millions of cubic meters of effluent at a superior level, and satisfy conditions for the construction of tens of thousands of new homes, particularly in the periphery,” said Water Authority Commissioner Alexander Kushnir.
Among the projects is an upgrade of the Darom Hasharon East facility at a total cost of NIS 127.5m., of which the government is to cover NIS 50m. The focus at this site is on eradicating environmentally hazardous discharges into the Yarkon River, as well as providing wastewater treatment solutions for the entire region, the authority said.
Completion of the project, in about 2017, will allow for an increase in housing, particularly in the non-Jewish sector, including in Taiba, Jaljulya and Kafr Bara.
Another upgrade will be made at the Ayalon wastewater treatment facility that will facilitate the construction of about 15,000 housing units in Lod, Ramle, Be’er Ya’acov, Modi’in-Maccabim- Reut and Shoham, the authority said. Expected to be completed in 2016, the project will cost NIS 62m., of which the government is to fund about NIS 58m.
The Shoket facility will be expanded due to landslides and contamination from Palestinian wastewater flowing from the Hebron area and polluting the Beersheba and Besor rivers. The expansion, according to the Water Authority, will provide for regional development of local Beduin villages as well as IDF bases in the area. Treatment capacity at the Shoket site will more than double, from 12,000 cubic meters per day to 30,000 cu.m. per day.
The project will cost approximately NIS 87m. – all of which will be covered by government funding – with expected completion in 2017, the authority said.
A facility upgrade and expansion will take place at the Iron wastewater treatment site near Pardes Hanna and benefit both Pardes Hanna and communities in the area. The plant will receive advanced membrane technologies for handling sludge.
While a full expansion of the facility would require NIS 80m., thus far NIS 50m. has been budgeted. This, too, will be fully paid for by the government.
The upgrade will allow for the treatment of about 28,000 cu.m per day and should be complete by 2016, the authority said.
A final project involves the Kolhei Hasharon wastewater treatment plant, which will enable the contribution of more than 6 million cubic meters annually of tertiary- level treated effluent to the national water sector. This project will cost NIS 30m. – half of which will be funded by the government – and is expected to conclude by 2017, the Water Authority said.


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