CMWU Continues Its Preparations for the 2016-2017 Winter Season

CMWU Continues Its Preparations for the 2016-2017 Winter Season

CMWU continues its preparations by taking the necessary measures for the winter season, with these preparations having begun more than two months ago, during a meeting chaired by Eng. Monther Shoblaq, CMWU's Director-General, including the directors of the Utility's various departments, where all plans, emergency needs, proposed works, and efforts made to secure the necessary budgets for their implementation were discussed, in preparation for the rainy season.

The Utility had earlier begun implementing various works and measures according to its available capabilities, having cleaned the rainwater collection basins in its various operational areas and rehabilitated them to prevent their blockage by dirt, dust, and debris that prevent the flow of rainwater, in addition to cleaning all sewage treatment plants and rainwater and sewage filters and manholes, as well as maintaining the mobile pumps and distributing them across all cities of the Gaza Strip and distributing rain-protective clothing, and providing quantities of diesel for use in operating the pumps and machinery working in all governorates during the rainy season.

In Rafah governorate, the rainwater drainage line connecting the Tal Al-Sultan (Obeida) area to the new rainwater collection basin was cleaned and maintained, 2 km long near the Egyptian border, and the fencing surrounding the rainwater collection basin in the Al-Jineina area was also cleaned and maintained, in addition to installing two additional pumps at the Al-Najili pumping station, one with a capacity of 650 cubic meters and the other with a capacity of 450 cubic meters per hour.

In addition, a new 18-inch diameter pressure line was constructed connecting the Jemeza Al-Sabeel station to the treatment basins in Rafah, and an additional pump with a capacity of 650 cubic meters per hour was installed, in addition to the three existing pumps, so that all four pumps operate during periods of heavy rainfall to pump water towards both the old and new pressure lines.

In Khan Younis, work is underway at full speed to develop the Al-Amal rainwater collection and filtration basin, in order to raise readiness to receive rainwater during this season and filter it into the ground to benefit from it.

In a related context, and as part of the heavy machinery and mobile equipment maintenance project funded by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at a value of $350,000, maintenance work is underway on the heavy machinery and mobile equipment belonging to all municipalities of the Gaza Strip, preparing them to work efficiently during emergencies and depressions in the winter season.

This maintenance included excavators, generators, loaders, sewage suction trucks, and large tractors that transport equipment and sand for building earthen berms, with stickers previously placed on all these machines and vehicles belonging to CMWU and the municipalities, bearing their numbers and indicating that these machines are designated for work in the water and sanitation field, to facilitate their movement at any time of day and under all circumstances.

Continuing its efforts to improve the rainwater collection system and benefit from it as a supporting source for the groundwater aquifer, and to put in place radical solutions to rainwater flooding problems, CMWU seeks to obtain the necessary funding to establish a rainwater collection system in many areas of the Gaza Strip to benefit from it and avoid the environmental problems and material losses it causes to residents, especially in the southern and middle areas.