Water supply and sanitation in Palestine
| Data | |
|---|---|
| Access to an at least basic water source | 91% |
| Access to at least basic sanitation | 89% |
| Share of collected wastewater treated | West Bank: 15% Gaza Strip: 62% (2001). |
| Continuity of supply | 62.8% (2005) |
| Average water use (L/person/day) | West Bank: 50 Gaza strip: 70 |
| Average urban water and sanitation tariff (US$/m3) | 1.20 |
| Non-revenue water | 44% |
| Institutions | |
| Decentralization to municipalities | No |
| National water and sanitation company | None |
| Water and sanitation regulator | Palestinian Water Authority |
| Responsibility for policy setting | Cabinet of ministries/National Water Council |
| Sector law | Yes (2001) |
The water resources of Palestine are de facto fully controlled by Israel, and the division of groundwater is subject to provisions in the Oslo II Accord.
Generally, the water quality is considerably worse in the Gaza Strip when compared to the West Bank. About a third to half of the delivered water in the Palestinian territories is lost in the distribution network. The lasting blockade of the Gaza Strip and the Gaza War (2008–2009) have caused severe damage to the infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Concerning wastewater, the existing treatment plants do not have the capacity to treat all of the produced wastewater, causing severe water pollution. The development of the sector highly depends on external financing.