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SEPP Program - Wastewater Management

There were nine wastewater treatment plants built under the SEPP Program. Each one is outlined below with relevant data. The water treatment plants use reliable, low cost, low maintenance technologies that directly benefit 13,000 people. Four of the WWTPs are detailed below.

Wadi Jezzine WWTP

YMCA signed a contract on October 10, 2003 with the Wadi Jezzine Municipality Council (WJMC) to jointly build and install both a WWTP and a sewer network. In the contract, the WJMC agreed to assume all costs associated with sewer network installation. YMCA agreed to assume all costs associated with the implementation of the WWTP and its accessories, thus dividing the expenses equally between the two partners - YMCA and WJMC.

A contract with the company Polytech was signed with YMCA and WJMC to build, equip and consult with on the general layout of the plant and excavation plans on April 15, 2004. The Environmental Impact Assessment was submitted to the Ministry of Environment in June 2004. The excavation and building works were completed by June 30, 2005. The main sewer network lines were completed by May 20, 2005. The wastewater treatment plant in the Wadi Jezzine village was designed to serve the current population of 800 persons. But the YMCA also took into account population growth of up to 1500 persons – the maximum capacity of the WWTP.

The WWTP began it operations on August 30, 2005.

A public awareness session was held at WJMC’s headquarters on November 13, 2005 - open for the general public. The YMCA program designers provided the participants with detailed information on the plant and its benefits – what it can do and how it will improve their environment in the long-run. They also fielded questions from the public.

The YMCA also trained a plant operator, identified by the municipality, on plant upkeep and monitoring. A technician from Polytech has been contracted out by WJMC to do site visits monthly in order to maintain and make adjustments where necessary – e.g. adjust the air blower, sump pump, monitor the quality of discharge, etc.

The main challenge faced in this particular WWTP was finding the land for the plant. Wadi Jezzine is a small village and no public lands were available. In the end, the WJMC was able to negotiate and secure a plot of land, owned by the Litani Association, to build the WWTP.

Haytoura WWTP

On June 28, 2005, the YMCA signed a contract with the HMC to jointly build the WWTP and to add the 400 m connector sewer line. By the end of June, 2005, HMC had secured the land area needed for the development of the plant. HMC agreed to assume all costs associated with the creation and in maintaining the access road to the plant and the connector sewer between the original wastewater discharge point and the new plant. The YMCA, in turn, agreed to assume all costs associated with the implementation of the WWTP and its accessories, thus dividing the expenses equally between the two partners - YMCA and HMC.

After signing the contract agreement and securing the land, the YMCA issued an RFQ for the construction of the plant. A contract was signed with the Grossimex company to build, equip and consult with on the general layout of the plant and excavation plans.

The Environmental Impact Assessment of the plant was completed and the construction work began in October 2005. Sanitary installations and internal plant connections were started in March 2006 and were completed by the beginning of April. In April 2006, the plant was ready and operating. It was being supervised and maintained by a local person assigned by the municipality, and everything was running smoothly (low odor).

A public workshop for community members was held to provide the participants with detailed information on the plant and its benefits – what it can do and how it will improve on their environment on the long-run. The program organizers also fielded questions from the public.

The main challenges faced in this particular WWTP were as follows:

• The plant was surrounded by pine trees that the YMCA was unwilling to uproot
• The access road was steep making accessibility to the plant during the rainy season almost impossible

The solutions to the challenges were as follows:

• To deal with the challenge of working among the pine trees, the contractor used smaller excavation tools and equipment to avoid damaging the root systems, or uprooting entirely, any of the pine trees.
• Because the access road was so steep, the municipality had to come out to pack it down on three separate occasions to ensure plant accessibility during the construction phase. Access roads are usually not made permanent during the excavation and building stages of the plant due to the fact that the use heavy equipment can damage more expensive surface areas – defeating the purpose.
• During the war that started on July 12, 2006, there were large population shifts throughout the country. One place that received a large number of the IDPs was the village of Haytoura Not only did the numbers reach the maximum output of the WWTP but it exceeded that number by some 1,000 - approximately 2,000 persons. Consequently, there was an increase in wastewater influent which, in turn, affected the WWTP's ability to treat the influent. This was something the YMCA could not have anticipated for when the WWTP was designed. We could do nothing during the war to remedy the problem except wait for the war to end and the population numbers to return back to the numbers the facility was designed to process.

Aychiyyeh WWTP

This project required the installation of 4,416 m of sewage networks and the building of a 150 m3/day capacity treatment plant. YMCA signed a contract on September 4, 2003 with the Aychiyyeh Municipality Council (AMC) to jointly build a WWTP and install 4,416 m of sewage networks. By the end of September, 2003, AMC had secured the land area needed for the plant and they had begun with the installation of the sewage network. The mayor succeeded in raising the needed funds from the Council of the South for the installation of 1000 m of the sewer network.

In the contract, the AMC agreed to assume all costs associated with the access road to the plant and the sewer network installation. YMCA agreed to assume all costs associated with the implementation of the WWTP and its accessories, the manhole covers and the construction materials needed for the manholes, thus dividing the expenses equally between the two partners - YMCA and AMC.

A contract was signed between the IBC company and the YMCA and AMC to build, equip and consult with on the general layout of the plant and excavation plans. The Environmental Impact Assessment of the plant was submitted to the Municipality on June 6, 2004.

Although a new AMC was elected by June of 2004, their election did not affect construction efforts. The construction works on the WWTP itself began by the end of June, 2004 and it was completed at the beginning of June, 2005.

In the interim, new houses were constructed in the village requiring an additional 80 m of sewage pipes which the Municipality agreed to assume responsibility for. The entire sewage network was completed at the end of June, 2005.

The plant has been fully operational since the end of June, 2005. Ninety five percent of the village homes are connected to the sewage network. The remaining 5% of the homes are either located below the network or too far from the main sewage network.

A technician from IBC was contracted out by AMC to do site visits monthly in order to monitor, maintain, and make adjustments where necessary – e.g. removal of excess sand and oil, inspect the manhole, monitor the quality of discharge, etc.

A public workshop for community members was held, as scheduled, on September 10, 2005 to provide the participants with detailed information on the plant and its benefits – what it can do and how it will improve on their environment on the long-run. The program organizers also fielded questions from the public.

The main challenges faced in this particular WWTP were as follows:

• Difficulty in excavation works due to the rocky terrain where the plant was to build
• The access road was equally as rocky and difficult to navigate the machinery and equipment over
• Extremely narrow streets inside the village (getting the large equipment to and from the site was always very challenging)

The solutions to the challenges were as follows:

• To deal with the rocky terrain, the contractor used heavier equipment for excavation
• Because the access road was also rocky, the AMC invested in heavy equipment to excavate/clear away the boulders and rocks enough to get the equipment and trucks to the site of the WWTP
• Due to the narrow, inaccessible to vehicles, streets the AMC hired people to install the internal main sewer manually and without the use of large equipment, where possible

Two effluence tests were conducted. The first test, on June 6, 2006, did not comply with the MoE’s standards and specifications. The contractor made some improvements to the facility and a second sample was taken on June 29, 2006. The results of the second test complied with the MoE’s standards and specifications - BOD, COD, TSS and PH. The final test result was submitted to the Municipality, and now the local municipality has assumed all responsibility for the facility, assuring that it continues to function properly.

Rashaya WWTP

This project required the installation of 13,452 m of sewage networks and the building of a 600 m3/day capacity treatment plant. The original site for the WWTP had been located too close to natural springs and cultivated fields. A joint decision between the YMCA and the RMC was made to move the plant farther away from both the original site and the village. Consequently, it increased the sewage network from the original estimate of 8,000 m to 11,288 m.

The Municipality agreed to assume responsibility for all costs associated with the installation of the sewage network and securing the land for the plant. The YMCA, in turn, agreed to assume responsibility for all costs associated with the purchase of sewer pipes and manhole covers and the construction of the plant itself.

The YMCA signed a contract with Grossimex, LLC to equip and advise-on the general layout of the Center. The Environmental Impact Assessment was submitted to the Ministry of Environment in December 2005.

Due to the lack of manpower that was caused by many Syrian workers leaving Lebanon due to political tensions, the work was delayed until July 2006. Unfortunately due to the war of July 2006, most works in Lebanon came to a standstill.

All of the 13,452 m of PVC piping, and all the manhole covers were completely installed and started operation on October 25, 2006. The construction works of the WWTP plant were completed in September 2006. A public awareness workshop for community members was held in which the YMCA program designers provided the participants with detailed information on the plant and its benefits – what it can do and how it will improve on their environment on the long-run. They also fielded questions from the public.

The main challenges that we faced in constructing this WWTP were as follows:

• Cold and snowy weather in Rachaya due to its location 1,400 m above sea-level
• Security-risk area as it is located within the free zone area between Lebanon, Syria and the Chebaa farms
• Extremely narrow streets inside the village (getting the large equipment to and from the site was always challenging)

How the YMCA handled the challenges:

• The snow impeded construction. We could do little until it had melted.
• The contractor could do little with the second challenge. There were times when he had to stop works completely – e.g. during the withdrawal of Syrian troops. Also, there were times when the workers either did not show up or left their work when tensions were high between the Lebanese army and Palestinian troops.
• Due to the narrow, inaccessible to vehicles, streets in the village, the RMC hired people to manually install the internal main sewer.