Gaza, MINA – The Palestinian Water Authority announced that the occupation army destroyed a water desalination plant during its recent ground operation in the northern Gaza Strip, Middle East Monitor reported.
The authority issued a statement that for the sixth consecutive day, its technical crews have been working to assess the damage in northern Gaza due to the Israeli aggression. Due to the massive damage to residential areas, infrastructure, and roads, they are experiencing significant difficulties in their access to water and sanitation facilities.
The Water Authority explained that its technical crews managed to reach the seawater desalination plant in northern Gaza and conducted an initial technical assessment of the extent of the damage. The assessment revealed serious technical damage to the electrical and electromechanical components in all stages and operating units of the plant. In addition, the occupation destroyed some of the main components of the plant, resulting in the destruction of five seawater supply wells, the plant’s intake pipes, two electric generators, a pump and a return water line, and the destruction of the external fence and outlet pumps.
The Water Authority confirmed that this plant is the only one serving northern Gaza and the Wadi Gaza area, providing clean water to all the northwestern neighborhoods of Gaza City with a production capacity of 10,000 cubic meters per day. There is no alternative to cover this amount, and it is difficult to drill water wells due to the high salinity of the groundwater reservoir with seawater in the western areas of the city.
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It also stressed that the damage to the desalination plant worsens the already dire water situation in Gaza, as the city is the only source of safe and reliable drinking water for the population.
The Water Authority confirmed that, within the framework of the first phase of its emergency relief work, it will provide and install ten mobile desalination stations in the central and southern areas of the Gaza Strip. The production capacity of each of these stations will reach 25 cubic meters per hour to produce 250 cubic meters for ten hours after the operation begins.
It should be noted that the installation of mobile desalination stations will provide an emergency and urgent solution to ensure the sustainability of drinking water supply for all residents. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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