Prepared by: Husam Al-Najar Environmental Engineering Department The Islamic University of Gaza Gaza Strip. Gaza city, Al-Rimal P.O.Box. 108 WATER CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOR IN SEMI – RURAL AREAS: BEIT LAHYA TOWN AS A CASE STUDY

Introduction Unaccounted-for water (UFW) is the difference between "net production" and "consumption" (the volume of water that can be accounted for by legitimate consumption, whether metered or not) Water loss levels (UFW) vary widely per country and within one country per city it's ranging from 6% to 63% AWWA Leak detection and Accountability Committee (1996) recommended 10% as a benchmark for UFW as the following: < 10% Acceptable %, intermediate, could be reduced > 25% matter of concern, reduction needed

Statement of the problem Items2011 Population (Beit Lahya muncibility,2011) Total Municipal Water Production. (MCM)6.098 Total Municipal Water readings (MCM) Unaccounted for water %53.6% Per Capita Per Day (L/C/D)

Research objectives Identify the main factors that lead to high UFW in Beit Lahya water distribution system. Study the influence of urban agriculture on high UFW in the water distribution system.

water network Losses in Summer (July- August) DistrictMeter readings (m 3 ) water supply quantity (m 3 ) loss % Salateen- Fardaus Al Atatra Al Guraa al khamsa Tal Eldahab Abu Obida Jamaea and Gaben Gawasma and Shimaa AL Hatabea AL Manshaea El Maslakh and Magles Sheikh Zayed Old Mashrua – Khazan and block New Mashrua total consumption

DistrictMeter readings (m 3 ) water supply quantity (m 3 ) loss % Salateen- Fardaus Al Atatra Al Guraa al khamsa Tal Eldahab Abu Obida Jamaea and Gaben Gawasma and Shimaa AL Hatabea AL Manshaea El Maslakh and Magles Sheikh Zayed Old Mashrua, Khazan & block , New Mashrua total consumption ` water network losses in Winter (January and February)

Percent of Agriculture in Beit Lahya districts

The field survey has been conducted for more than 650 households in the Municipality of Beit Lahya. The employees for reading Meters in Beit Lahya are three, distributed over 15 different districts of Beit Lahya. Old Mashrua has low UFW that reached 18.6% in Summer and 16.4% in Winter where highly dense area (no agriculture). Sheikh Zayed Semi-urban area has UFW accounted for 53% in Summer and 33% in Winter. (40.6% of the city boundary is agriculture areas) The zones that has high UFW such as Atatra, Salateen, Sheikh Zayed and El Maslakh and Magles zones are semi-urban areas. Conclusion

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