1. Presented by: Cherine Akkari EVSC243- Special Topics in Environmental Sciences Instructor: Dr George Mitri

2.  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.  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.  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 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.  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.

8.  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.  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

11.  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.

14.  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.  Irrigation in agriculture  Groundwater recharge  Industrial reuse

16.  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.  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. Davis, M.L. and Cornwell, D.A, (1991).” Introduction to Environmental Engineering”. 2 nd 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/Le banon/Chap15WastewaterManagement.pdf