The Effect of Seawater Desalination for Domestic Purposes on The Reuse of Treated Effluents in Gaza Strip

Abstract

Gaza Strip suffers from a water crisis due to the scarcity of water resources and the substantial increase of the population. For a long time, the supply of freshwater to the population in Gaza depends overwhelmingly on the groundwater, causing the intrusion of seawater that leading to increasing the salinity of the groundwater. Therefore, seawater desalination was proposed to produce safe water for domestic use. Subsequently, the characteristics of the produced wastewater will be affected. This research aims to study the effect of seawater desalination on the reuse of treated effluent to achieve self-sufficiency in horticulture crops. Modeling of long-term metrological data using the FAO- CROPWAT model was used to estimate irrigation water requirements. Also, the software LINDO application was used for the spatial planning of the crops on the available areas. The study showed potential improvements in the treated wastewater in the light of seawater desalination. The proposed cultivated areas to be irrigated with treated wastewater will be 76.5, 87.8 and 100.8 thousand dunum for the years 2025, 2030 & 2035, respectively. Moreover, the treated effluents will be used by 96, 78 and 73% for irrigation for the years 2025, 2030 & 2035, respectively and the rest will be recharged to the groundwater.