Coastal Aquifer
| Palestinian territories: Water and Sanitation | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Data | ||
| Water access | 91% | |
| Sanitation access | 89% | |
| Continuity of supply | 62.8% (2005) | |
| Average domestic water use (2005/2009) (liter/capita/day) | West Bank: 50 Gaza strip: 70 |
|
| Average urban water tariff (US$/m3) | 1.20 | |
| Share of household metering | n/a | |
| Share of collected wastewater treated | West Bank: 15% Gaza Strip: 62% (2001). |
|
| Non-revenue water | 44% | |
| Annual investment in water supply and sanitation | n/a | |
| Sources of investment financing | Mainly from external grants | |
| Institutions | ||
| Decentralization to municipalities | No | |
| National water and sanitation company | No | |
| Water and sanitation regulator | Palestinian Water Authority | |
| Responsibility for policy setting | Cabinet of ministries/National Water Council | |
| Sector law | Yes (2001) | |
| Number of urban service providers | n/a | |
| Number of rural service providers | n/a | |
Water supply and sanitation in the Palestinian territories are characterized by severe water shortage and are highly influenced by the Israeli occupation. The water resources of Palestine are fully controlled by Israel and the division of groundwater is subject to provisions in the Oslo II Accord.
Generally, the water quality is considerably worse in the Gaza strip when compared to the West Bank. About a third to half of the delivered water in the Palestinian territories is lost in the distribution network. The lasting blockade of the Gaza Strip and the Gaza War have caused severe damage to the infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Concerning wastewater, the existing treatment plants do not have the capacity to treat all of the produced wastewater, causing severe water pollution. The development of the sector highly depends on external financing.
Since the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the issue of the development of the area's water resources, has been a critical issue in regional conflict and negotiations, initially involving Syria, Jordan and Israel. After the Six Day War, when Israel occupied the Palestinian territories, water use and sanitation have been closely linked to developments in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The water and land resources in the West Bank in particular are considered to constitute the major obstacle to the resolution of conflict in the area. Palestinians claim they have a legal right to ownership, or claim to use of three water sources in the area:(a)the groundwater reservoir of the Mountain Aquifer, the Gaza Strip Coastal Aquifer and the Jordan River to the amount of 700 MCM/Y, over 50% of natural water resources between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.
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