Regional Conference on Advancing Non Conventional Water Resources Management in the Mediterranean, 14-15 September 2011, Athens, Greece

1. Presented by Eng. Mona Fakih
Director of Water
Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water

2. Current situation in Lebanon
Total wastewater production: 310 McM / year (250
McM municipal/domestic & 60 McM industrial);
1984 Wastewater Master Plan was developed and
updated in 1994: it foresaw 54 integrated systems
(collection – treatment – disposal), 12 coastal + 42
inland;
1999 the 10-years Strategy Plan was launched and
included, among others, provisions for wastewater
treatment and reuse;
2011: only 7 (out of the 12) are completed but not
connected to networks and 2 are operational but
under capacity; only 4 (out of the 42) are completed
but only 2 are operational and under capacity;

3. Current situation in Lebanon
Two thirds of the population are connected to
wastewater collection networks BUT only 8% reached
the four operational plants and is treated;
Environmental costs of the situation are severe: most
wastewater collected is discharged raw, without
treatment, into watercourses and the sea; cesspits are
used with considerable seepage into groundwater; few
industries pre-treat their effluents health impacts
and costs, pollution of water resources and soil, loss of
amenity and tourism income

4. Problems and causes
The investment program is not well coordinated;
Appropriate legal, regulatory & policy framework have
not been established and enforced:
Split of responsibilities between MoE & MEW;
No policy on pre-treatment of industrial wastewater;
No guidelines on the selection of most cost-effective
wastewater treatment techniques;
No policy for systematic reuse of treated wastewater;
Institutional responsibilities are unclear between
different bodies (CDR, MEW, WEs, municipalities,
etc.)

5. Problems and causes
No experience and capacity of the bodies (WEs)
responsible for operation of the wastewater collection
and treatment systems;
The advantages of partnerships with the private
sector have not been explored adequately: the legal,
regulatory and institutional framework for private
sector participation is not enabling;

6. The way ahead…sector objectives and
targets (2011-2020) based on the
NWSS recently launched
Increase the present wastewater collection and
treatment from 60% and 8% to respectively 80% by
2015 (collection & treatment) and 95% by 2020
(collection & treatment);
Pre-treatment of all industrial wastewater by 2020;
Increase reuse of treated effluent from 0% in 2010 till
20% by 2015 and 50% by 2020;
Secondary treatment and reuse of all inland
wastewater by 2020 and secondary treatment by 2020
of costal wastewater where reuse is economically
justified;

7. The way ahead…sector objectives
and targets (2011-2020)
Full recovery of O&M costs by 2020 following the ‘polluter
pays’ principle and full recovery for BOT projects;
To achieve this: 5 strategic initiatives
1- An integrated and prioritized investment program;
2- Legal, regulatory and policy measures to set and regulate
standards;
3- institutional measures to define responsibilities and
create capacity for service delivery;
4- Financial measures for viability and affordable services;
5- Measures to optimize PSP in the wastewater sector

8. An integrated and prioritized
investment program
Increases in wastewater collection, treatment and re-
use rates by:
MEW taking the lead in working with other bodies and
institutions and the private sector to prepare and
obtain financing for an integrated investment program.
Top priority will be completing existing treatment
plants and rapidly increasing the effective networks
connection so that treatment rates are at the level of
the installed treatment capacity of the plants;
Preparation of regional wastewater master plans to plan
better for integral systems (collection-treatment and
reuse)

9. Legal, regulatory and policy measures
to set and regulate standards
Cooperation with other concerned agencies/institutions
for setting and regulating standards for treatment and
reuse;
Issuing new by-laws specifying:
Responsibilities for setting/regulating standards;
Implementation of polluter pays principle
Responsibilities for industrial pre-treatment;
Responsibilities for monitoring & enforcement;
Planning, investment programming and implementation by
relevant agencies & private sector;
National guidelines & criteria for treatment and reuse to
be reviewed and issued jointly by an inter-ministerial
committee;

10. Institutional measures to define
responsibilities and create capacity for service
delivery
WEs will progressively take over responsibility for service
delivery & their capacity will be developed. Private sector
will be used where appropriate:
Asset evaluation (ownership of all collection and treatment
assets by WEs);
Asset transfer and preparing plans for O&M of assets: either
by WEs or municipalities by delegated management;
Capacity building of WEs (management, operation and
maintenance) ;
Capacity building for MEW (oversight & support of
wastewater sector)

11. Financial measures for viability and
affordable services
Following the ‘polluter pays’ principle, full recovery of
O&M costs will be introduced progressively to
generate revenues and the conditions for financial
viability and transparent operating subsidies will be
paid during the transition period until WEs can cover
their costs :
Cost recovery: measures will be introduced to recover
progressively from users the full cost of O&M of
wastewater services. When volumetric billing for water
supply will be introduced accordingly wastewater
charges will be billed together with water charges.

12. Measures to optimize PSP in the
wastewater sector
Study of options for PSP in financing, execution
and operation of investments, including BOT;
Test models for PSP: one or more pilot projects
will be launched, like BOT contracts for inland
treatment plants and O&M contracts for
treatment plants;
Strengthening WEs capacity to prepare and
oversee contracts with private sector involvement.

13. THANK YOU for YOUR ATTENTION!