The Problem of Sewage in the Lebanese Rural Areas

1. The Problem of Sewage in the Lebanese Rural Areas Presented by: Cherine Akkari EVSC243- Special Topics in Environmental Sciences Instructor: Dr George Mitri

2. Outline • Introduction • Wastewater status in Lebanon + Problem recognition • Existing Legislations in the Wastewater sector • Case Study: Bterram, a village in north Lebanon • Wastewater treatment & reuse • Conclusion + Recommendations

3. Introduction • Sewage (or wastewater) is any form of waste matter that comes from domestic or industrial establishments and is carried away in sewers or drains. • Wastewater= Blackwater + Graywater • Sewage, a non-point source of underground water pollution.

4. The Problem of Wastewater in Lebanon • Lebanon generates an estimated 249 Mm3 of wastewater annually, with no treatment prior to disposal. • Due to: inadequate infrastructure + High cost of wastewater management + Lack of funds • Most villages have the traditional household sanitary pits or the method of draining wastewater into boreholes in bedrock, which eventually reaches the groundwater (Fadel et.al, 2004).

5. Existing Legislations in the Wastewater Sector • Existing legislation for the protection of water resources in Lebanon dates back to 1925. • Law 444: • • Decree 8735/1974 on pollution from solid and liquid waste • • Decision No52/1 (7/1999), MoE set out the requirements for measures to protect against air, water and soil pollution • • Decision 8/1 (1/3/2001) of MoE on the National Standards for Environmental Quality (NSEQ), covering air and liquid emissions of all sectors, and replacing corresponding standards under Decision 52/1 • • Decision 3/1 (6/8/2005) about environmental guidelines for the establishment and/or operation of small wastewater treatment plants

6. Existing Legislations in the Wastewater Sector (Ctnd) • Policies on wastewater management are centrally planned in cooperation between the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), Ministry of Environment (MoE) and Ministry of Energy and Hydraulic Resources (MEHR). • To date, institutional management of the wastewater sector is ineffective.

7. Case Study: Bterram

8. Case Study: Bterram (Ctnd…) • One of the rural communities that do not employ any treatment methods and simply release raw sewage into the environment such as rivers; No sewage system. • Nbre of its inhabitants: 1966 • In Bterram, the usage of the absorption excavation (or sanitary pits) is present but it is not healthy because many of the excavations are pierced, thus leaking into the soil.

9. Case Study: Bterram (Ctnd...) • According to Mr.Naim Serhan, a civil engineer who is involved in the project of installing a closed canal in Bterram’s river, Bterram suffers from an environmental catastrophe because of the dragging of the sewage from the village of Ain Akrin, Rachdebin, Kousba, Kfarakka, Kfersaroun & Amioun, into Bterram’s river. • A foul-smelling because of the grouping of the stagnant water  attracts rodents, flies and insects

10. Case Study: Bterram (Ctnd...)

11. Case Study: Bterram (Ctnd…) • 4 persons died, 2 have been witnessing lung diseases, and 1who is a child who once woke up deaf. • Bterram has recently developed a project with the aim to limit the directly and indirectly damages of the wastewater which pass near to the surrounding houses, schools, recreational places in the village. • The project is based on transferring the stagnant water and limiting it into a big canal enclosed with concrete of 15- 20cm of thickness.

12. Case Study: Bterram (Ctnd...)

13. Wastewater Treatment

14. Wastewater Treatment (Ctnd…) • However, in the coming few years, Lebanon will face a new waste management problem: What to do with the sludge generated from wastewater treatment plants? • Therefore, sewage sludge should be conditioned before final disposal. Conditioning could include aerobic and anaerobic sludge digestion, composting, chemical addition, and heat treatment.

15. Wastewater Reuse • • Irrigation in agriculture • • Groundwater recharge • • Industrial reuse

16. Wastewater Reuse (Ctnd…) • Disadvantages: • Reuse of wastewater may be seasonal in nature, resulting in the overloading of treatment and disposal facilities during the rainy season. • Health problems, such as water-borne diseases and skin irritations, may occur if people come into direct contact with reused wastewater. • In some cases, reuse of wastewater is not economically feasible because of the requirement for an additional distribution system. • The reuse of reclaimed wastewater may not be culturally or religiously accepted in some societies.

17. Recommendations • Adopt a National Wastewater Management Plan • Develop a Regional Action Plan for rural wastewater management • Secure funding for priority wastewater infrastructure • Monitor WWTP performance against National Environmental Standards • Adopt and Implement strategy for the treatment and disposal of sludge • Develop strategy and guidelines for the re-use of treated effluent • Build and strengthen institutional capacity for all stakeholders • Promote PP (Public Policy) in wastewater management • Improve public awareness • Enforce and update laws regarding the wastewater sector

18. References Davis, M.L. and Cornwell, D.A, (1991).” Introduction to Environmental Engineering”. 2nd edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Fadel et.al, (2004, March). “Prospects of efficient wastewater”. Retrieved from http://www.emwater.org/activities/final_cs_lebanon.pdf Karaa et.al, (2000). “ Wastewater treatment and reuse in Lebanon”. Retrieved from http://ressources.ciheam.org/om/pdf/b53/00800764.pdf “Lebanon”. (2006). Support to DG Environment for development of the Mediterranean De-pollution Initiative “HORIZON 2020”. No 070201. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/environment/enlarg/med/pdf/lebanon_en.pdf State of the Environment Report. (2001). Ministry of the Environment (MoE). LEDO. Retrieved from http://www.unep.org/dewa/WestAsia/Assessments/national_SOEs/West%20Asia/Lebanon/Chap15WastewaterManagement.pdf