The WWTRD is mainly focused on carrying out research and studies aimed at generating basic and applied information in the fields of environmental sciences and management and dissemination of this information on as wide a front as possible. It also includes education, training, and technical consultations, and public awareness programs in water and wastewater treatment and reuse-related issues.
Shortage of water throughout Palestine dictates utilization of marginal water for irrigation. Treated urban wastewater is a common alternative water source for irrigation in arid and semiarid regions. Some plants, e.g., perennial aromatic plants, are cultivated as cash-crops for fresh or dry herb production, or as a source of essential oils and other industrial materials. Such mainly summer crops require substantial amounts of water, to satisfy their potential for intensive biomass production. Large areas of these crops are required to facilitate an economically viable industrial production system. Therefore, shortage of fresh water for irrigation in arid and semiarid regions including Palestine restricts utilization of aromatic plants as industrial crops. Replacement of fresh water with treated effluent for irrigation of these plants could promote the development of large-scale production systems for biomass, essential oil, and natural bioactive compounds in these regions.
The WWTRD, therefore, concentrates on two areas of water research:
- Reclamation of secondary effluents with reverse osmosis membranes: fouling mechanisms and control;
- Sustainable use of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment and reuse in small communities.
