A clarifying statement from CMWU: the odor from Gaza Valley is caused by olive-pressing waste arriving at the treatment plant, and the situation is temporary.
Clarifying Statement from CMWU on "The Causes of the Odor Emanating from the Gaza Valley Watercourse"
The Central Sewage Treatment Plant east of Al-Bureij in the Central Governorate is considered one of the most important strategic projects at the level of the nation's governorates, given its reliance on the latest technology in the sewage treatment process, and it has significantly contributed to halting pollution in the Gaza Valley watercourse, restoring the seawater to its natural state, and improving the environmental situation in the Gaza Valley watercourse and its surrounding areas. The plant also treats the sewage water arriving to it with high efficiency and quality.
Since the very first moment the Central Sewage Treatment Plant east of the Central Governorate began operating, CMWU has been monitoring all the effects resulting from its operation, which were concentrated only in the spread of mosquitoes and the odor in the Gaza Valley watercourse, resulting from the breaks present in the Gaza Valley watercourse and the random stagnant pools, which CMWU monitors and works continuously to combat, in cooperation with the municipalities of the Central Governorate and all partners, and CMWU also continuously provides the materials needed to combat mosquitoes.
CMWU also clarifies that the cause of the odors that have recently appeared, coinciding with the start of the olive-pressing season, is the result of the waste from the olive-pressing process ("zibar") arriving from olive oil presses to the treatment plant through the sanitation networks, as this waste severely and negatively affects the efficiency of the sewage treatment process, as it cancels the role of biological treatment and leaves behind non-biodegradable organic components, in addition to causing foul odors inside the Gaza Valley watercourse.
Al-Bureij Municipality's Mayor Eng. Ayman Al-Duwaik carried out a field visit to the treatment plant to observe the workflow there and review the latest developments that occurred due to the arrival of olive-pressing waste at the treatment plant, and its effect on the efficiency of the treatment processes at the plant due to the arrival of this waste at the treatment plant, which led to the emission of odors in the Gaza Valley watercourse.
CMWU also affirms that this situation is temporary until the end of the olive-pressing season, and that next year all olive presses will be prevented from discharging pressing waste without treatment, under a system that will be developed, based on the decisions of the relevant government bodies.
