Subscribe
type here...
Subscribe
don't dump poison in the sewer
Cities
1 min.Read

Eco-friendly Sewage Treatment Comes to the West Bank

Michael Green
By Michael Green
9

sewer-drain-street-photo

A new scheme has just got underway for Palestinians to treat their sewage waste and purifying it for agricultural use by using wetlands.

Forsaking electricity, the system instead relies on a system of man-made pools which utilise plants to assist in the organic breakdown of the sewage.

The West Bank village of Um a-Rihan, not far from Umm el-Fahm in Israel, is home to 50 families and until now has not been connected to a proper sewage system. The wetlands will not only prevent pollution to the aquifer but will also provide the village residents with purified water for their crops, reports the Jerusalem Post.

lily-pad-israel-phytoremediation-ayala-water-and-ecology-eli-cohen-green-prophet

A pilot project, administered by the Israel-Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI), has operating in a handful of homes for around a year and has just recently been expanded to the entire village. IPCRI hope that their Ecological Wastewater Treatment for Rural Communities project will be rolled out to more Palestinian communities in the future.

As well as offering a green alternative to conventional sewage treatment, the scheme represents practical Israeli-Palestinian cooperation, including expertise from Israeli engineer Arnon Goren and former Tel Aviv city council member Hadas Shachnai. It also has the blessing of the Israeli Civil Administration in the West Bank and the Israeli Army is even considering using it in some of its military bases.

We’ve written earlier on the life-threatening sewage problem for the Palestinians in Gaza. And reports from the field – Green Prophet’s Rami – say the situation is grim. We’ve also written on Ayala to remediate pollution wastelands in Israel with plants. Also on wetlands and how they work to clean sewage. Maybe the new West Bank solution can be transferred to Gaza as well. 

:: IPCRI, Ecological Wastewater Treatment for Rural Communities in the West Bank.

:: Jerusalem Post, Artificial swamps in the West Bank

[Photo via klynslis]

Michael Green
Michael Greenhttps://www.greenprophet.com/
Born into a family of auto mechanics and engineers in east London’s urban sprawl, Michael bucked the trend and chose a bicycle instead of a car. A relative newcomer to Jerusalem, he works as a freelance journalist writing for the Jerusalem Post and other publications. Before moving to Israel, he worked for an environmental NGO in England where he developed a healthy obsession with organic vegetables and an aversion to pesticides and GMOs. Michael’s surname is pure coincidence. Michael can be reached at michael (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
9 COMMENTS

Comments are closed.

TRENDING

Huge Fish Nursery Discovered Under Freezing Arctic Seas

0
In 2019, an underwater robot camera exploring the seabed...
Read more

Iran is sinking in sinkholes from overwatering

0
What's that sinking feeling? In Iran, the very ground under...
Read more

What is dark oxygen?

0
Something dark and metallic-like is pumping out large amounts of oxygen from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, at depths where a lack of sunlight makes photosynthesis impossible, scientists have noticed. 
Read more

Nullker: A Sustainable Global Community where “ECO” stands for Ecology as much as Economy 

0
Translated into the language of economy, the revolutionary way lies through uniting the already existing environmental effort and channeling it in a manner that would enrich all the parties involved: business, communities, and nature.
Read more

Jaffa’s home-roasted coffee and music curated at Ada Hanina Cafe

0
This story is about Ada Hanina Cafe in Jaffa and its owner Tomer. Tomer wanted to blend good coffee and music to create the best cafe experience for his community.
Read more

Impact Investing

Turning Your Energy Consultancy into an LLC: 4 Legal Steps for Founders in Texas

0
If you are starting a renewable energy business in Texas, learn how to start an LLC by the books.
Read more

Tracking the Impacts of a Hydroelectric Dam Along the Tigris River

2
For the next two months, I'll be taking a break from my usual Green Prophet posts to report on a transnational environmental issue: the Ilısu Dam currently under construction in Turkey, and the ways it will transform life along the Tigris River.
Read more

6 Payment Processors With the Fastest Onboarding for SMBs

0
Get your SMB up and running fast with these 6 payment processors. Compare the quickest onboarding options to start accepting customer payments without delay.
Read more

Qatar’s climate hypocrisy rides the London Underground

0
Qatar remains a master of doublethink—burning gas by the megaton while selling “sustainability” to a world desperate for clean air. Wake up from your slumber people.
Read more

How Quality of Hire Shapes Modern Recruitment

0
A 2024 survey by Deloitte found that 76% of talent leaders now consider long-term retention and workforce contribution among their most important hiring success metrics—far surpassing time-to-fill or cost-per-hire. As the expectations for new hires deepen, companies must also confront the inherent challenges in redefining and accurately measuring hiring quality.
Read more

8 Team-Building Exercises to Start the Week Off 

0
Team building to change the world! The best renewable energy companies are ones that function.
Read more

Thank you, LinkedIn — and what your Jobs on the Rise report means for sustainable careers

0
While “green jobs” aren’t always labeled as such, many of the fastest-growing roles are directly enabling the energy transition, climate resilience, and lower-carbon systems: Number one on their list is Artificial Intelligence engineers. But what does that mean? Vibe coding Claude? 
Read more

Somali pirates steal oil tankers

3
The pirates often stage their heists out of Somalia, a lawless country, with a weak central government that is grappling with a violent Islamist insurgency. Using speedboats that swarm the targets, the machine-gun-toting pirates take control of merchant ships and then hold the vessels, crew and cargo for ransom.
Read more

Related Articles

Popular Categories

CitiesHealthLifestyleBusinessGreen Tech and GadgetsTravelDesign
Previous article
No More Crying Over Spilt Milk With AfiMilk
Next article
Palestinians Support Dead Sea for Wonder of the World

Have news to share? Renewable energy news, architectural, artificial intelligence, biotech, sustainable design ideas, eco-architecture, green travel?
Email us: [email protected]

Company

Headlines

Key Rules Recreational Cannabis Users Must Follow in Pittsburgh

0
Adults who are 21 or older can carry up to 30 grams. This amount applies to personal use within Pittsburgh’s limits. Carrying more could lead to confiscation or legal action. Staying under the limit avoids problems during any public stop.

Turning Your Energy Consultancy into an LLC: 4 Legal Steps for Founders in Texas

0
If you are starting a renewable energy business in Texas, learn how to start an LLC by the books.

Ancient Chinese medicine might heal spinal cord injuries

0
In the study, the scientists didn’t just test one plant compound at a time. They tested two traditional Chinese medicine compounds together — luteolin (from flowers like honeysuckle and chrysanthemum) and astragaloside IV (from astragalus root, Huang Qi). These plants have been combined in Chinese herbal formulas for centuries to help the body recover from injury and inflammation.

Luxury meets the textile waste stream with Coach – Bank & Vogue

0
A new collaboration between luxury brand Coach and textile reuse pioneer Bank & Vogue attempts to stitch those two worlds together: high fashion and the global textile waste stream.

Newsletter

Get important news delivered directly to your inbox and stay connected!

© 2007 to 2026 Green Prophet, All Rights Reserved