Tour E

The tour begins at the border of Meitar and the West Bank. Here, we will see the sewage that travels from the Hebron Stream across the border to Meitar, and we will witness that water has no borders. We can see the ecological damage and pollution that sewage from the West Bank brings to Israel and that the untreated sewage of Hebron is not only a problem for the West Bank but for Israel as well. The only way to solve this problem is with a regional approach. Point out that after 20 years of planning and handling the complexity of different positions and interests, the WWTP for Hebron is being built. Additionally, we will also hear about issues faced due to the stone-cutting industry, which pollutes the river with stone-cutting slurry that clogs the system and can damage the treatment plant. To address this problem, Israel has built a catchment and treatment facility near the border that separates the slurry from sewage. This is a very expensive process and takes significant funds from Palestinian taxes. However, air pollution from the slurry is still a problem and this affects Meitar.

The Shoket Wastewater Treatment Plant is a modern sewage plant that treats the sewage of surrounding Israeli towns, as well as some Palestinian towns in the Hebron area. We will tour the plant and explore various treatment processes. 

The Tel Sheva Junction serves as a Viewing Point of the intersection of the Hebron River and Be’er Sheva River. The towns of Omer and the Bedouin town of Tel Sheva, understood the value of utilizing this intersection, however, notice the differences( compare-contrast and consider).

The Be’er Sheva River Park is an example of how a city can address drastic construction waste and pollution in a river. The city of Be’er Sheva restored the Be’er Sheva river by building an artificial lake, currently the biggest in Israel at 90 dunams, filled with wastewater-treated water. The lake uses three systems of ecological wetlands to filter the water and keep it fresh and clean. The park as a whole is 670 dunams in size and contains grasslands, trees, picnic sites, walking and biking trails, and other leisure activities for the community to enjoy. Note: creative problem solving and utilizing wastewater for restoration and the environment.