Officials from the Ministry of Environmental Affairs are very concerned regarding the water situation in Yehuda and Shomron, in both Israeli and PA (Palestinian Authority) autonomous areas.

Officials are concerned regarding the lack of water treatment, explaining waste water from some 2 million residents is dumped without the required treatment, polluting the environment, including bodies of water that collect the waste. About 2/3 of the waste water is not being treated as it should, resulting in the pollution concerns.

In addition, many or possibly most PA farmers use sewage water to irrigate their crops, resulting in other health hazards including e-coli. Officials explain that since they reuse the sewage water, they have no incentive to treat the waste runoff as they should.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)