Chemical and microbiological quality of desalinated water, groundwater and rain-fed cisterns in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the physiochemical and microbiological quality of the domestic water through one-year long surveillance in Gaza Strip, Palestine. Water samples were taken from rain-fed cisterns, groundwater from the water network, and desalinated water. For certain chemical parameters, such as nitrate, a high percentage of water samples from all sources exceeded the limits of the Palestinian Standard Institution and the World Health Organization (WHO). Total dissolved solid (TDS) readings were noncompliant for most samples from groundwater and water from rain-fed cisterns, but the TDS quality was far better in desalinated water. As far as microbiological quality is concerned, high percentages of noncompliance were observed for total Coliform and fecal Coliform in most water samples, which was also reflected by the high incidence of water-borne diseases in Gaza Strip. The study reveals a clear superiority of quality for desalinated water, but also the need to adopt better practices (maintenance and pre- and posttreatment) in the desalination plants.