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Palestinian Authority and the U.S. Government Improve Water Supply for 800,000

Taqua, Bethlehem Governorate – On Wednesday, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the U.S. Government inaugurated eight rehabilitated water pump stations and one booster station improving the availability of water for 800,000 residents of Abu Dis and the Bethlehem and Hebron Governorates. Palestinian Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad and Mission Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Michael Harvey attended the event held at the Taqua pumping station in the Bethlehem Governorate, together with other Palestinian Authority and U.S. Government representatives.

The U.S. Agency for International Development-funded $30 million Well Stations Rehabilitation Project has significantly improved water availability and flow for the residents of the Southern West Bank through new well and booster pumps and their electrical control mechanisms. The rehabilitated projects now pump water into the Palestinian Water Authority pipelines 24 hours a day for the first time in a decade. The regular flow of drinking water into Palestinian households also helps to decrease the financial burden of having to purchase expensive tankered water to relieve the water shortage particularly during the summer months.

The project is part of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s five-year $300 million Infrastructure Needs Program implemented in partnership with the Palestinian Authority. In 2010, $30 million was spent on water distribution networks and reservoirs in the West Bank to improve water supply for Palestinian households and businesses. In addition, approximately 160 kilometers of roads were rehabilitated at a cost of $77 million. Work is continuing on an additional 31 kilometers of roads.

Since 1994, the U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, has provided more than $3.4 billion in economic assistance to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. The U.S. Agency for International Development coordinates closely with the Palestinian Authority to support projects that reduce poverty, improve health and education, build infrastructure, create jobs, and promote democracy and good governance.