Groundwater quality is a major environmental aspect which needs to be analyzed and managed depending on its spatial distribution. Utilization of insufficient management of groundwater resources in Gaza Strip, Palestine, produces not only a reduction in quantity but also deterioration in quality of groundwater. The aim of this study is to provide an overview for evaluation of groundwater quality in the Gaza Strip area as a case study for applying spatially distributed by using Geographic Information System (GIS) and geostatistical algorithms. The groundwater quality parameters, pH, total dissolved solids, total hardness, alkalinity, chloride, nitrate, sulfate, calcium, magnesium, and fluoride, were sampled and analyzed from the existing municipal and agricultural wells in Gaza Strip; maps of each parameter were created using geostatistical (Kriging) approach. Experimental semivariogram values were tested for different ordinary Kriging models to identify the best fitted for the ten water quality parameters and the best models were selected on the basis of mean square error (MSE), root mean square error (RMSE), average standard error (ASE), and root mean square standardized error (RMSSE). Maps of 10 groundwater quality parameters were used to calculate the groundwater quality index (GWQI) map using the index method. In general, the results showed that this integrated method is a sufficient assessment tool for environmental spatially distributed parameters.
a b s t r a c tReuse of wastewater is a sustainable and renewable source of water, mainly used in the agricultural sector and can contribute to rural development. Agriculture is the second highest sector for water consumption in the Gaza Strip, using more than 50% of water abstractions from the stressed polluted Gaza's coastal aquifer. This paper aims to present and evaluate two available wastewater post-treatment options which could be employed to reuse wastewater for agriculture in Gaza: sand filtration using a textured geomembrane sand filter and the Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT) system. This evaluation is based on applying hierarchy grey relational analysis and the comparison matrix through an environmental assessment for each option using a semi-empirical methodology that combines results from field tests and computer hydrological simulations. In addition, it is based on a social and economic and the operational aspects for the Gaza City Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and its infiltration basin. The evaluation factors for the two options are juxtaposed in a Comparison Matrix with associated weighted scores and predefined scales to quantify the evaluation process before using the hierarchy grey relational analysis. The results show that the operational costs and the environmental aspects are the main factors that affect the evaluation process for wastewater post-treatment options. The sand filtration (with textured geomembrane) option is ranked higher than the SAT system for this particular case study with an overall integrated grey relational grade equal to 0.3276, compared to 0.2596 for the SAT system.
The Northern Gaza Emergency Sewage Treatment (NGEST) is addressed as a promising water management intervention strategy to maintain the sustainability of groundwater aquifer in the Gaza Strip. This study assesses the current operational status of the north-ern Gaza wastewater infiltration basins located at NGEST project. In situ diagnostic assessment was performed at two spots (A) and (B) located inside the basin (3). The results of sieve analysis and bulk density indicate that the soil at the spot (B) is finer than of spot (A) where the contents of the fine material and bulk densities were 13% and 1544 kg/m3 at the spot (A) and 23.7% and 1544 kg/m3 at the spot (B). In terms of the infiltration capacity, the nature of soil at the spot (A) exhibits better initial and saturated infil-tration rate in comparison to the soil at the spot (B), where the initial and saturated infiltration rates were 2.88 and 0.43 for spot (A) and 0.29 and 1.73 meters per day for spot (B), respectively. Thus, the diagnostic assessment for the northern Gaza wastewater infil-tration basins indicates that the soil classification is silty sand and the infiltration rates range between about 3 and 0.3 meters per day.
Reverse osmosis (RO) technology shows common popularity in the field of water treatment as an advanced stage to eliminate the residual biogenic elements and dissolved impurities after the traditional treatment processes. This article highlights the applicability of using RO membrane technology as a post-treatment stage to treat the discharged effluent from the Gaza wastewater treatment plant. The designed experimental model reveals optimal removal efficiency between 92 and 100% for a number of physical, chemical and biological pollutants. The RO membrane unit demonstrates significant removal efficiency compared to the sand filter where the RO removal efficiency for BOD, TSS, TDS, Fecal Coliform and NO3 were 100, 97.5, 92, 100 and 100%, respectively. The quality of reclaimed wastewater was idealistic where the contents of BOD, Fecal Coliform and NO3 in the permeate were nil, and the concentrations of TDS and TSS were 20 and 296 ppm, respectively. Practically, the results confirm that the wastewater with the reclaimed quality could be used for agricultural activities with no degree of restriction according to FAO’s guidelines water quality for irrigation. According to the Palestinian Standard (PS), the quality of reclaimed wastewater is high, class (A), and it could be used without restrictions to irrigate many crops and for the purposes of groundwater replenishment. Related to energy estimation and cost analysis, the numerical model and the market analysis study demonstrate the energy of 1.23 kWh and total cost, i.e. fixed and energy costs, of 0.58 USD to produce 1 m3 of reclaimed wastewater using the RO membrane in the Gaza Strip over a projected lifespan of 5 years.
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