Characterization of Grey Water from Country-Side Decentralized Water Treatment Stations in Northern Palestine

Abstract

Fresh-water problem in Palestine dates back to the early 1900's due to various geographical settings and political turbulences. The problem is exacerbated by the ever-increasing demand on water by population growth and development. As pressures on freshwater resources grow in Palestine and as new sources of supply become increasingly scarce, expensive, or politically controversial, utilizing alternative options has become a must, to meet water needs. To reduce water demand by increasing the efficiency of water use and to expand the usefulness of alternative sources of water previously considered unusable. One option of supply is greywater. The project seeks to treat and reclaim household grey water to supply irrigation water, and enhance crop production in patch gardens. The task results reveal that grey water from household activities has the potential for irrigating crops and offers many social and financial benefits to improve the residents source of revenue. Various parameters were monitored and measured for a decentralized constructed wetland system yielding some interesting and promising data.

Keywords: Treated Grey Water, Irrigation, Agriculture.