Conditions such as poorly maintained wells, aquifers and the incursion of the Mediterranean Sea into aquifers allow for greater contamination of water. Examples of such cases are listed below:
Drinking water in Gaza has been tested and the results show high levels of fluoride that exceed WHO recommendations of 1.5 parts per million (ppml). The community fluorisis index for the entire Gaza Strip was four times higher than the safe level.
Salinity levels of the Gaza coastal aquifer have been rising at a steady rate of 2 milligrams(mg) per liter over the past twenty years. Reports of salt poisoning, which is a rare condition, are also increasing.
The Territories are also polluted with nitrates, heavy metals, fuels and toxic organic compounds, which include pesticides. Much of these toxins come from the production and activities found on Jewish settlements near the Territories. Palestinians are often economically unable to purchase the same grade of potent chemicals Israelis use in their factories, farmlands and homes.
The town of Qalqilya is a prime example of how Palestinians are subjected to water made unsanitary by neighbouring settlements. Located in the West Bank, Qalqilya’s water is one of the most contaminated in the Palestinian territories. In 2005, the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz reported that “industrial sewage” was being pumped into Qalqilya from nearby Jewish settlements.
Prior to the Haaretz report, the inhabitants of Qalqilya knew something was wrong with their water. Crops were not germinating in the once prosperous farmlands. About two-hundred olive trees died. Olive trees are renowned for living up to two-thousand years. Children were falling ill after swimming in the local streams. Because entire farmlands would be laced with toxic runoff from nearby Jewish settlements, insects would consume not only the sewage but on the now damaged crops. Palestinians farmers resorted to buying pesticides to salvage whatever was left of their plants. One farmer interviewed by Haaretz claimed “I’ve had to use lots of my savings to buy insecticide and each year, the problem is getting worse”. The use of pesticides only exacerbates the problem of contamination yet these farmers see it as their only resort.
The nearby homes of these settlers are not the only source of contaminated water. The manufacturing businesses operated in the Territories by Israelis also contribute to pollution. Many factories and industries are found in these settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Inside of the actual Israeli territory, there are more stringent industrial and environmental standards. However, the Palestinian government has more lenient regulations which in turn facilitate settlers’ ability to contaminate.
In April 2005, Israel gave the green-light for settlers to turn a former Palestinian quarry into a dump yard for industrial waste generated by Israel and the Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Being a quarry, this location lies nears the water table for this area. This new dump site has 10,000 metric tons of waste dumped into it each month.
Friends of the Earth Middle East, an NGO, issued a report in 2004 citing that only 6% of Israeli settlements properly treated their sewage. Furthermore, the Israeli Ministry of the Environment only apprehended 14 of the more than 60 settlements it determined were illegally discharging sewage. Israeli settlers make up 10% of the population in the West Bank however they produce more than 25% of the sewage pollution.
It should be noted though that there is some progress being made on this issue of pollution. Settlers have set up councils to promote environmental awareness in the West Bank such as the Municipal Environmental Associations of Judea and Samaria. These councils promote environmental impact surveys to be carried out on new buildings erected by settlers in the West Bank.