VZCZCXRO7458
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0574 0871028
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 281028Z MAR 07
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7080
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 000574 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR 
WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/STEINGER; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS; 
TREASURY FOR SZUBIN/LOEFFLER/NUGENT/HIRSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV PHUM EAID KBIO KWBG IS
SUBJECT: WAVE OF SEWAGE SUDDENLY ENGULFS GAZA VILLAGE 
 
REF: JERUSALEM 509 
 
¶1.  (SBU) An earth embankment around a recently-built sewage 
pond near Beit Lahiya collapsed at 9:30 a.m. on March 27, 
spilling a large volume of sewage and sand onto the nearby 
Bedouin village of Um Nasser.  The sewage pond was built by 
the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) in October 2006 in 
order to store effluent from the filled-to-capacity Beit 
Lahiya sewage lake. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) OCHA Gaza field staff confirmed that there have 
been at least four deaths and numerous wounded.  According to 
USAID Gaza-based staff reports from the scene, 238 structures 
were partially damaged and 130 were totally damaged from the 
flooding of over 70,000 cubic meters of effluent.  According 
USAID mission reports, UNRWA has said it has sufficient 
stocks of supplies to respond immediately to the 260-300 
families affected by the flooding.  USAID's emergency 
response implementer the Rafeed project, will assist with 
cooking gas, gas stoves, gas lights, and clothes sufficient 
for 250 families.  USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives 
(OTI) is working to coordinate volunteer clean-up efforts. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Deputy World Bank Country Director Faris 
Hadad-Zervos told Econoff that, according to his PWA sources, 
the collapse was caused by human error, as the pond was 
constructed haphazardly and quickly.  He also speculated that 
too much effluent may have been pumped from the Beit Lahiya 
sewage lake into the sewage pond, filling the pond beyond its 
threshold and causing the sudden collapse of an embankment. 
(Comment: While the definitive cause of the rupture has yet 
to be determined, human error, either in the operation or in 
the original construction, is likely to blame.  End comment.) 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Background: Hadad-Zervos confirmed that the PWA had 
used World Bank-funded pipes and equipment in October 2006 to 
build the temporary sewage pond that collapsed.  The World 
Bank approved the interim measure since the construction of a 
large-scale, World Bank-funded wastewater treatment plant had 
been placed on hold by the GOI for security reasons (see 
reftel) and there were widespread concerns that the Beit 
Lahiya sewage lake would overflow.  (Comment: Instead of the 
larger lake overflowing, it was the smaller and newer sewage 
pond that breached its embankment.  End comment.) 
WALLES