Gaza: The Coastal Municipalities Water Utility has urgently appealed to all United Nations agencies, international donors and international partners to facilitate the supply and introduction of new diesel generators, spare parts and specialized repairs into the Gaza Strip, which will have a significant impact in alleviating the harsh humanitarian situation and protecting the operation of the current limited number of operationally available water and sanitation facilities and avoid further deterioration and collapse of water supply and distribution systems and wastewater collection and pumping systems serving various residential and displacement areas.
The Coastal Municipalities Authority said that as a result of the war and harsh military operations on the Gaza Strip that began after October 7, 2023, which had catastrophic effects on all aspects of life, and six months ago, all electrical power lines and supplies passing from Israel to the Gaza Strip were cut off, with a total capacity of 120 megawatts. The
only power plant available in Gaza had close to zero production one week after fuel stopped arriving from Israel, resulting in the loss of an additional 80 megawatts. Therefore, all diesel back-up generators wherever available in water and sanitation facilities with a coordinated diesel fuel supply program have become the main source of electrical power supply which is essentially required to secure life support systems for producing safe water for human use and pumping waste water throughout residential areas and residential areas. Displacement and shelters in all governorates of the Gaza Strip.
She explained that only 190 out of 540 water and sanitation facilities in the Gaza Strip are now partially operating, with the daily time set at no more than 10 hours per day, with water production not exceeding 52,000 m3/day, which represents 15-20% of the daily demand. On the water before the war. The current diesel-powered generators, whose ratings range from (50 kVA to 1,600 kVA), have become overused outside th
e recommended operating conditions and have been operating for six months without replacement units and spare parts remaining after the bombing and destruction of the central warehouse of the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility. It is the warehouse that is critically needed to perform preventive maintenance and various repairs. This has led to many malfunctions and damages.
She stressed that the continuation of such stressful operational conditions on the current generators with the rise in summer temperatures will negatively and seriously affect the entire situation, and without the presence of new alternative generators and spare parts that are currently not allowed to enter the border crossings for security reasons under the name ‘dual-use.’
She pointed to the list of immediate and emergency interventions for generators that will significantly help maintain the operation and operation of basic water and sanitation facilities, including seawater desalination facilities in the Gaza Strip, by securing elec
trical power supplies, most notably the supply of diesel-powered power generators, whose capacity ranges from 50 kilograms. Volt amps to 500 kVA and the supply of spare parts and consumables for the current generators, which number 190 generators, in addition to contracts for specialized repair and renewal services for the current generators
Source: Maan News Agency