Solar energy to optimize the cost of RO desalination plant case study: Deir Elbalah SWRO plant in Gaza strip

Seawater desalination by reverse osmosis (SWRO) is currently considered as one of the most widely used and reliable technology in providing additional water supply for areas suffering from water scarcity. High energy consumption of Reverse Osmosis plants is one of the biggest challenges, particularly in developing countries such as Palestine. The future demand for fresh water and thus, energy, triggers researchers to find methods to integrate the use of renewable energy for the desalination process. Palestine has a high solar energy potential, where the average of solar radiation intensity on horizontal surface is 5.31kWh/m2 per day. In this research, the possibilities of using solar energy to optimize the cost of the desalination process in Gaza were studied. The research focused on the optimal use of solar energy and selection of the most economically feasible configuration of utilizing this source either fully or partially in the SWRO process. Internal Rate of Return (IRR) was used as an economic indicator to analyze the feasibility of establishing a SWRO desalination plant with a capacity of 600m3/d in Gaza based on the optimal energy sources. The available options of energy sources were Traditional System, Off Grid and On Grid Solar systems. The results for the economic study found that the IRR was 6.6%, 3.80%, and 7.64% for the first, second, and third options respectively. The higher the IRR, the more attractive is the option for the investment. The IRR should be more than the market interest rate by a comfortable margin (6.43% in Palestine). Based on the results, the On Grid Solar System has the ability to balance the system production and Plant power requirements, which is about 105kwh. Considering the On-Grid system, the unit cost for desalinated water was reduced from 1.08$/m3 (Electric utility as a baseline) to 0.89$/m3 which is about 17% saving

The impact of Gaza fishing harbour on the Mediterranean coast of Gaza

The Mediterranean coast of Gaza strip, which is covered about 40 km in length, is rich by coastal resources. The development that occurred along the coastal lines has led to the host of problems such as increased erosion, siltation, loss of coastal resources and the destruction of the fragile marine habitats. In order to conserve the depleting coastal resources, the changes due to development and associated activities must be monitored. Studying the temporal pattern of shoreline change is considered one of the most effective means of monitoring the cumulative effects of different activities. An attempt was made to study the impact of Gaza harbour on shoreline displacement along 6 km. This paper was intended to detect changes of coastal area in Gaza city to provide future database in coastal management studies. The analysis was carried out using image processing technique (ERDAS) and Geographical Information System platform. The variation during 38 years in the shoreline along the Gaza coast was determined by analyzing MSS, TM and ETM Landsat images from 1972 to 2010. The analyses identified the erosion and accretion patterns along the coast. The shoreline was advanced south of the Gaza fishing harbor, where the wave-induced littoral transport was halted by southern breakwater and the annual beach growth rate was 15,900 m 2. On the downdrift side of the harbor, the shoreline was retreating and beaches erode at an annual rate of-14,000 m 2. This study was emphasized that the coastal band is considered as a critical area, it is therefore necessary to monitor coastal zone changes because of the importance of environmental

Genetic Algorithm Model to Optimize Water Resources Allocation in Gaza Strip

Groundwater aquifer is considered the main and only water supply source for all kind of human usage in Gaza Strip (domestic, agricultural and industrial). This source is severely deteriorated in both quality and quantity for many reasons, includ- ing low rainfall, dramatic increase in the urban areas and population, pollution from overland activities, and seawater intrusion. In 2011, the Palestinian Water Authority has instituted a plan for integrated management of Gaza water resources that considers introducing of new external water resources to the system such as seawater desalination and treatment and reuse of wastewater. In this work, a genatic algorithm model was developed to seek the optimal combination of the management scenarioios of Pales- tinian water authority plan. The optimization code is designed and run using MATLAB R2011b. The objective function maxim- ized the benefits and minimizes the cost related to the use of different sources of water. The decision variables represents water allocation over different users sectors. The benefits from utilizing water for municipal and industrial purposes are based on the marginal value of water which is derived from the economic equilibrium point between supply and demand curves. The benefits from irrigation water are affected by the relationship between crop yield and salinity. The constraints in the optimiza- tion model are allowed to iterate between two bounds (upper bound and lower bound) until the optimal value for each variable is found. The results show that there is a significant improvement in aquifer’s water levels in the majority area of the Gaza Strip for the planning years 2015, 2025, and 2035 providing that the planned phased desalination and wastewater treatment schemes are implemented in the specifies time horizon. The results show that the resulted quality of available water for agriculture use in term of total weighted average of electrical conductivity is 962 µS/cm in the year 2015, and 876 µS/cm in the year 2025, and 842 µS/cm in the planning year 2035. The results also show that the resulted quality of available water for municipal and industrial use in term of total weighted average of electrical conductivity is 867 µS/cm in the year 2015, and 685 µS/cm in the year 2025, and 631 µS/cm in the planning year 2035

The Impact of Gaza Fishing Harbour on the Mediterranean Coast of Gaza

The Mediterranean coast of Gaza strip, which is covered about 40 km in length, is rich by coastal resources. The development that occurred along the coastal lines has led to the host of problems such as increased erosion, siltation, loss of coastal resources and the destruction of the fragile marine habitats. In order to conserve the depleting coastal resources, the changes due to development and associated activities must be monitored. Studying the temporal pattern of shoreline change is considered one of the most effective means of monitoring the cumulative effects of different activities. An attempt was made to study the impact of Gaza harbour on shoreline displacement along 6 km. This paper was intended to detect changes of coastal area in Gaza city to provide future database in coastal management studies. The analysis was carried out using image processing technique (ERDAS) and Geographical Information System platform. The variation during 38 years in the shoreline along the Gaza coast was determined by analyzing MSS, TM and ETM Landsat images from 1972 to 2010. The analyses identified the erosion and accretion patterns along the coast. The shoreline was advanced south of the Gaza fishing harbor, where the wave-induced littoral transport was halted by southern breakwater and the annual beach growth rate was 15,900 m2. On the downdrift side of the harbor, the shoreline was retreating and beaches erode at an annual rate of -14,000 m2. This study was emphasized that the coastal band is considered as a critical area, it is therefore necessary to monitor coastal zone changes because of the importance of environmental parameter and human disturbance. In particular, the projections of future shoreline erosion and accretion rates are considered important for long-term planning and environmental assessment for a variety of projects, including the construction and tourism facilities

Mitigation Measures for Gaza Coastal Erosion

Coastal erosion is an ongoing hazard affecting Gaza beach, but is worsening due to a wide range of human activities such as the construction of Gaza fishing harbor in 1994-1998. The net annual alongshore sediment transport is about 190×103 m3, but can vary significantly depending on the severity of winter storms. According to the observed wave heights and directions, the net waves are cross-shore, therefore vast quantities of sediments may transfer to deep sea. The main objective of this study is to mitigate the erosion problem of Gaza coast. Change detection analysis was used to compute the spatial and temporal change of Gaza shoreline between 1972 and 2010. The results show negative rates in general, which means that the erosion was the predominant process. Gaza fishing harbor caused a serious damage to the Beach Camp shoreline. Consequently, several mitigation measures were considered in this study, which are: relocation of Gaza fishing harbor to offshore, groins, detached breakwaters, wide-crested submerged breakwaters and beach nourishment. Several numerical model tests associated with coastal structures are conducted to investigate the influence on morphodynamics. The results show that the relocation of the harbor is the best alternative to stop trapping of the sediments. If for any reason the relocation was not carried out, the wide-crested submerged breakwater alternative is an effective structure for preventing sandy beach erosion. The artificial reef type of submerged breakwaters with beach nourishment is recommended for Gaza beach, because it is an environmentally friendly and improving the ecosystem of marine life

Crop Water Requirements (CWR) Estimation in Gaza Strip Using ArcMap-GIS Model Builder

Abstract—Water is the most precious and valuable natural resource in the Middle East in general and in Gaza Strip in particular. It is vital for socio-economic growth and sustainability of the environment. Gaza Strip is in critical situation that requires immediate and concerted efforts to improve the water situation in the term of quality and quantity. Demand greatly exceeds water supply. In addition water quality is very poor and the aquifer is being over pumped. Very limited water supplied for domestic use is potable. About 70 % of the total pumped water is used for agricultural purposes. For sound planning, it is very essential to have accurate figures for current water consumptions. These figures are only accurate for municipal and industrial consumption as the related water sources are well monitored. Accurate figure for agricultural consumption does not exist. Currently, there are over 4,000 agricultural water wells of which 70 % are considered illegal. In addition to that, most of the wells are not metered or the meters are very old and deteriorated. In this paper, agricultural water consumption was estimated by using ArcMap ArcGIS based approach and utilizing the available information of land use, rainfall, and other meteorological data where total of 49 computation procedures and processes were built in the model. The total annual crop water requirement is calculated to be 65 MCM. Knowing that the average annual well abstraction is 85 MCM; the losses due to conveying system deficiency, irrigation techniques, and over application are estimated at 24 %. Maps showing the spatial distribution of the monthly crop water requirement are also produced

Using Bayesian Networks, Ionic Ratios, and Isotopes for Identification of Salinity Origin and Data Requirements in the Gaza Coastal Aquifer

Groundwater is the only source of fresh water in the Gaza Strip. However, it is severely polluted and requires immediate effort to improve its quality and increase its usable quantity. Intensive exploitation of groundwater in the Gaza Strip over the past 40 years has disturbed the natural equilibrium between fresh and saline water, and has resulted in increased salinity in most areas. Salinization in the coastal aquifer may be caused by a single process or a combination of different processes, including seawater intrusion, upconing of brines from the deeper parts of the aquifer, flow of saline water from the adjacent Eocene aquifer, return flow from irrigation water, and leakage of wastewater. Each of these sources is characterized by a distinguishable chemistry and well known isotopic ratios. In this paper Na/Cl, SO4/Cl, Br/Cl, Ca/(HCO3+SO4), and Mg/Ca ionic ratios were used to distinguish different salinization sources. These ionic ratios, along with water isotopic composition such as δ11B and 87Sr/86Sr, have been successfully used in other parts of the coastal aquifer to understand the different salinization processes. The task of monitoring and the associated decision making process are characterized by a high degree of uncertainty with respect to input data and accuracy of models. For this reason, probabilistic expert systems, and more specifically, Bayesian belief networks (BBNs) is used to identify salinization origins. The BBN model incorporates the theoretical background of salinity sources, area-specific monitoring data that are characteristically incomplete in their coverage, expert judgment, and common sense reasoning to produce a geographic distribution for the most probable sources of salinization. The model is also designed to show areas where additional data on chemical and isotopic parameters are needed to understand the contribution of each of these sources to the problem. The model has successfully identified areas where seawater intrusion, deep brines, wastewater leakage, agricultural return flows, and Eocene waters exist with high probability. It has also identified areas where there is missing information or incomplete data especially in the eastern part of the coastal aquifer outside Gaza Strip

Effectiveness of air sparging technology in remediation of Gaza coastal aquifer from gasoline products

Groundwater contamination becomes a great concern in many countries. One of the most important pollutants is hydrocarbons. Sources of Hydrocarbons pollutants in Gaza can be a result of accidental spills of petroleum products on the surface and uncontrolled disposal of wastewater. One of the common technologies for groundwater aquifer remediation from hydrocarbons is known as air sparging. In this study, a 120 cm× 100 cm× 80 cm laboratory scale aquifer model was implemented in order to investigate the effectiveness of air sparging technology in removal of petroleum products from contaminated site. Four pilot scale wells were installed at different depths and different spatial distribution. The central well was used for injecting air and the surrounding three wells were used for monitoring. The contaminated water and soil were tested for total organic carbon, lead, dissolved Oxygen and pH; one time before the start of treatment and four times through the treatment process. Total organic carbon in water and soil before air injection were 980 ppm and 0.08775 ppm, respectively. After air injection for three weeks (six hours daily) at flow rate range from 15 to 20 L/min and at pressure range from 300 to 400 kPa, the concentration of pollutant was decreased to 4.0 ppm and 0.0 ppm in water and soil, respectively. Based on the results, it was clearly demonstrated that air sparging is a simple, effective and affordable technology that can be applied for Gaza aquifer remediation in case of gasoline spill accidents

الجودة الميكروبية لمياه الاستجمام الساحلية في قطاع غزة - فلسطين

Abualtayef MT, Abd Rabou AN, Abu Foul AA, GhabayenSM, ElsinwarHM.2014.Microbial water quality of coastal recreational water in the Gaza Strip,Palestine. Nusantara Bioscience 6:26-32.Wastewater disposal into the Mediterranean coast of the Gaza Strip has many negative effects, whether on the environment or on human health, thus microbiological analysis of seawater samples was carried out. The microbial analysis was confined on two types of fecal indicators (fecal coliform and fecal streptococci), inaddition to a single type of bacteria (pseudomonas). This study was conducted between the beginning of July 2012 to the mid of October2012 over an area extended from the proposed Khan Younis fishing port to Gaza fishing port, with a length of about 23 km. The study area was divided into five zones.The samples were collected in two rounds: the first round included 75 samples that collected along thestudy areaduringthe summer season. The second round included 19 samples that collected in the autumn season to compare it with their counterparts that have been collected in the summer season. Laboratory analysis showed the presence of contamination in many of these samples. The results also showed that the pollution was concentrated in and surrounding the mouths of wastewater outfalls. Dependingon the microbial analyses, which have been collected in the first round, the fecal coliform appeared in 61% ofthe samples, while fecal streptococci appeared in all samples and pseudomonas appeared in 33% of the samples. The pollutants were widespread along the study area, which are the result mainly from wastewater discharge into the sea.A risk analysis was done for season variations using the secondmoment method; ingeneral, it was found that risk in both seasons was high especially in summer.Abualtayef MT, Abd Rabou AN, Abu Foul AA, GhabayenSM, ElsinwarHM.2014.Microbial water quality of coastal recreational water in the Gaza Strip,Palestine. Nusantara Bioscience 6:26-32.Wastewater disposal into the Mediterranean coast of the Gaza Strip has many negative effects, whether on the environment or on human health, thus microbiological analysis of seawater samples was carried out. The microbial analysis was confined on two types of fecal indicators (fecal coliform and fecal streptococci), inaddition to a single type of bacteria (pseudomonas). This study was conducted between the beginning of July 2012 to the mid of October2012 over an area extended from the proposed Khan Younis fishing port to Gaza fishing port, with a length of about 23 km. The study area was divided into five zones.The samples were collected in two rounds: the first round included 75 samples that collected along thestudy areaduringthe summer season. The second round included 19 samples that collected in the autumn season to compare it with their counterparts that have been collected in the summer season. Laboratory analysis showed the presence of contamination in many of these samples. The results also showed that the pollution was concentrated in and surrounding the mouths of wastewater outfalls. Dependingon the microbial analyses, which have been collected in the first round, the fecal coliform appeared in 61% ofthe samples, while fecal streptococci appeared in all samples and pseudomonas appeared in 33% of the samples. The pollutants were widespread along the study area, which are the result mainly from wastewater discharge into the sea.A risk analysis was done for season variations using the secondmoment method; ingeneral, it was found that risk in both seasons was high especially in summer

Microbial water quality of coastal recreational water in the Gaza Strip, Palestine

Abualtayef MT, Abd Rabou AN, Abu Foul AA, Ghabayen SM, Elsinwar HM. 2014. Microbial water quality of coastal recreational water in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Nusantara Bioscience 6: 26-32. Wastewater disposal into the Mediterranean coast of the Gaza Strip has many negative effects, whether on the environment or on human health, thus microbiological analysis of seawater samples was carried out. The microbial analysis was confined on two types of fecal indicators (fecal coliform and fecal streptococci), in addition to a single type of bacteria (pseudomonas). This study was conducted between the beginning of July 2012 to the mid of October 2012 over an area extended from the proposed Khan Younis fishing port to Gaza fishing port, with a length of about 23 km. The study area was divided into five zones. The samples were collected in two rounds: the first round included 75 samples that collected along the study area during the summer season. The second round included 19 samples that collected in the autumn season to compare it with their counterparts that have been collected in the summer season. Laboratory analysis showed the presence of contamination in many of these samples. The results also showed that the pollution was concentrated in and surrounding the mouths of wastewater outfalls. Depending on the microbial analyses, which have been collected in the first round, the fecal coliform appeared in 61% of the samples, while fecal streptococci appeared in all samples and pseudomonas appeared in 33% of the samples. The pollutants were widespread along the study area, which are the result mainly from wastewater discharge into the sea. A risk analysis was done for season variations using the second moment method; in general, it was found that risk in both seasons was high especially in summer