The Project
Republic of Yemen • Ministry of Water and Environment
Grey Water Guidelines (Use of Mosque Water for Irrigation)
Water is life and one Mosque can irrigate one hectare of land
The Project This project is a cost effective way of reducing water consumption. The guidelines in this document have been developed following three successful pilot projects carried out in Yemen between January and December 2006. It aims to improve the lives of the local population by reducing wastage and providing a source of irrigation to support the local economy and conserve diminishing resources.
What the Project does The main objectives of this project are to: Develop a grey-water treatment and distribution + facility to recover water used during the Wuduu' ritual and rainwater harvested from the Mosque roofs Use this water to irrigate land surrounding the + mosques for the provision of crops for the local population Provide the local population with a stable + economic resource Increase public awareness and encourage + sustainable management
Why do it? The Middle East and North Africa is the most waterscarce region in the world, home to 6.3% of the population and with only 1.4% of the world's renewable fresh water. Water consumption within the area is currently moving towards 600% utilisation. Since the 1970s the water supply situation within subSaharan countries has become critical. For example, overall annual water consumption in Yemen is estimated at 5 times the area’s recharge capabilities with groundwater around the main cities, like Sana'a dropping by 6 metres per year. In the last decade water has become the most limiting constraint on the development process and the Mosques are one of Yemen's most significant water consumers. It is estimated that if this scheme was implemented throughout Yemen, it would provide irrigation for over a third of the land currently used for agricultural purposes.
Site Selection Mosque selection is critical to the successful construction of grey water recycling. The factors in selecting or rejecting specific Mosques are: + The feasibility of separating the foul water from the grey
water (wuduu’ water) + Ownership of the land surrounding the Mosque + Cleanliness of the surrounding land + Agreement of the Mosque staff and attendees to
implement the project + Water availability
Separation of foul water from post-wuduu’ water The ability to separate the foul water from the grey water is the fundamental basis for this project. If this is not possible the site must be rejected. The quantities of water from wuduu’ must be commensurate with the intended irrigation requirements of the miqshaama.
Land Ownership A sufficient quantity of land near to the Mosque and suitable for growing crops for the benefit of the local community is a key requirement. Grey water recycling will require the agreement of the owners of the land to be irrigated. This is easiest if the land is waqf (the land is owned by the Mosque) and it may be very difficult to implement grey water recycling if the land is not waqf.
Cleanliness of the surrounding land The land surrounding the Mosque needs to be suitable for cultivation. Cultivating polluted land can lead to serious health problems as the crops may contain contaminants which are harmful if eaten.
Agreement of Mosque Staff In order to implement the project the Mosque needs to agree with the principles of grey water recycling. In religious terms, those responsible for the Mosque should agree that the reuse of grey water for irrigation is acceptable. There should also be a practical acceptance of the project, of what can be achieved from its implementation and a desire to make it succeed. Full discussions with both Mosque staff and those who operate the miqshaama (Mosque garden) at each stage of implementation, particularly during the detailed design stage, are needed to ensure that the stakeholders are receiving a project that they ‘own’.
Water Availability The Mosque needs to have an adequate attendance to ensure that sufficient grey water is produced for irrigation purposes. Although this project could be implemented in all Mosques, those which have an attendance sufficient to provide irrigation for at least one hectare offer the best opportunity.
Construction Facilities installed for water conservation will include grey water separation and storage, filtration to remove most of the suspended solids and an irrigation network. They might also include storage for rainwater collected from the roofs of the Mosque. To provide a good economic resource the land to be irrigated must grow socially acceptable/appropriate crops and use local labour, tools and materials as much as possible. § Construction should not proceed without a detailed design The Mosque staff and the miqshaama operators should be involved at the detailed design stage. Their comments throughout the construction phase are to be taken into account and if feasible incorporated into the project. § Those involved in the construction process must understand the processes of separation, filtration, operation and maintenance. § The filters contain two sizes of angular gravel (coarse, 1-inch and finer 1/8th inch) and are
separated using geotextile. The filters can also use graded sand and pea gravel. Where possible materials should be sourced locally. § A facility to bypass the filter should be built in at the construction stage so that the filter can be cleaned/replaced without interruption of the water supply to the miqshaama. § Tank sizes, pump and pipe specifications should be commensurate with flows. Flows are typically 1 to 2 litres/capita at prayer times. Low supply should be supplemented from alternative sources to maintain the miqshaama minimum requirements. § Permanent tanks, typically of 2000 litres, should be of reinforced concrete and temporary ones of GRP (glass reinforced plastic). Suitable stainless steel or plastic gully/gutter channel systems must be used with 50 – 100mm plastic piping for storage tank connections. § A provision for the discharge to sewers should be made for periods of flows/storage in excess of the design capacity. § Flow of water into the miqshaama is to be done by gravity as much as possible. If pumps are needed power requirements should be appropriate to the operation and maintenance technologies typically used in the country and the responsibility for payment for power should be clearly allocated and accepted before the project commences. § A simple water sampling and analysis programme should be in place to analyse for representative pathogens and basic parameters. Selection of targets and a response procedure to exceedences should be agreed on and adhered to. The following suite of tests is recommended for monitoring: E. Coli Ascaris Turbidity
Salmonella Suspended Solids Odour
§ Skilled supervision should be available locally and provided frequently, especially at the commencement of construction. Further details of the construction of the three pilot projects are available in a Technical Report (electronic version) from: Dr Lia Carol Sieghart - [email protected] or [email protected] Mr Mohammed Shamsan - [email protected]
Examples
Bi’r Xaabuut, Damaar Main reason for selection: Waqf available and Imaam willing to implement the project. The mosque serves around 100 people during weekday prayers and around 500 at Friday noon prayers. A miqshaama of around half a hectare is located around 500m across the Ta’iz road. An existing pipeline takes the post-wuduu’ water from the mosque to the miqshaama. This project provided: 1
A filtration tank built within the existing storage tank at the miqshaama
2
Improvement of the existing storage tank by renewing the internal cement lining, increasing the storage capacity and adding a cover
3
A separate section of the storage tank allowed vegetables to be washed without clogging the filter
Al Badr, Sana’a Main reason for selection: Waqf available and Imaam willing to implement the project. The project was incorporated within the current mosque building programme. This large mosque serves around 800 people during weekday prayers and around 3000 at Friday noon prayers. Within its grounds are around two hectares of land. There is also an area adjacent to the mosque grounds which is owned by the government. Increasing the availability of water by grey water recycling has increased the amount of planting possible within the land. This project provided: 1
Collection pipe for the wuduu’ water
2
A pump for the conveyance of water from the storage tank to the two irrigation networks
3
A filter/header tank between the wuduu' water storage tank and the irrigation networks, overflow connections from the storage tank to the sewerage system and supply connections from the rainwater storage tank to the wuduu’ water storage tank
Al Kabiir, Amraan Main reason for selection: Waqf available and Imaam willing to implement the project within phases of the mosque’s own development programme. The Kabiir mosque serves around 100 people during weekday prayers and around 400 at Friday noon prayers. One miqshaama of around one and a half hectares is located across a small road. A pipe from the post-wuduu’ storage tank to a second, open storage tank in the miqshaama was already in place beneath the road. The grey water recycling improvements allowed a second, undeveloped area of waqf of about ¾ hectare to be irrigated. This project provided: 1
A small post-wuduu’ collection tank which is gravity fed under the road to a second collection tank built in the miqshaama. The water is then pumped to a filtration tank from which it drains into the main existing storage tank
2
An output connection from the new filtration tank to the pipe of the existing storage tank in the miqshaama
3
A cover for the storage tank and an irrigation network to the miqshaama. The following people should be credited for the success of the projects: § HE the Minister of Water and Environment, Abdul-Rahman F. al-Eryani § Dr Hussien Al-Gunied, Deputy Minister § Mohammed Shamsan, Ministry of Water and Environment § Dr Lia Carol Sieghart, Ministry of Water and Environment § Frank DiSilvestro, Development Marketplace § Adrian Dolecki, Parsons Brinckerhoff § Lucia Collinwood, Parsons Brinckerhoff § Chris Handley, Consultant to Parsons Brinckerhoff
" 1 Mosque - 1 Hectare Sustainability of Water, Land & Man” Project programme for Yemen pilot
Identify 3 suitable mosques for scheme implementation MILESTONE 1 Agree objectives with project liaison Submit project agreement
Brief staff
Public awareness campaign
Visit by grey-water expert
4
2
IL
MILESTONE 4
ES
Produce greywater guidelines
TO
N ES
1
Preparation of mosques
M
Marketing & replication Development
Locate sources of local materials
MILESTONE 2
Business plan
3
Conservation front
Locate local labour Identify further potential sites Education of local labour in systems and equipment
MILESTONE 3 Construction Conservation front
Upgrade sewer system to seperate wash water from sewage water
Construct holding tank and pump system
Build channel system to irrigate orchard
Plant orchard to provide sustainable food source for local population
Education of local labour in system maintenance and use of water testing equipment
ISSUES Water is a limited resource
High grey-water production from mosques
Unused land adjacent to mosques
Education of local population
Sustainability
Replicability
OBJECTIVES Re-use grey-water produced by mosques
Provide a simple crop irrigation system
Establish a suitable food crop
Provide a source of local employment
Ensure replicability of the project
TARGETS Identify 3 mosques for the pilot project
Provide grey-water guidelines
Provide water sampling equipment
Plant orchards for each of the mosques
Educate local population in system maintenance
Public awareness campaign
Educate local population in use of analysis techniques
Promote project to Government
Thanks to Dr Lia Carol Sieghart for supplying the images
Client Dr Hussien Al Gunied Deputy Minister Department of Environmental Affairs Ministry of Environment in Yemen 418285 Sana'a Republic of Yemen Email [email protected]
World Bank Frank Disilvestro Development Marketplace World Bank Washington DC USA Tel +1 202-458-7612 Fax +1 202-614-0515 Email [email protected]
Advisor to Client Dr Lia Carol Sieghart International Environmental Advisor Ministry of Water and Environment PO Box 19237 418285 Sana'a Republic of Yemen Tel +967-1-418284 Mobile +967-71-789994 Fax +967-1-418296 Email [email protected]
Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd Adrian Dolecki Director Environment 29 Cathedral Road Cardiff United Kingdom Tel +44-29-2082-7032 Mobile +44-7779 326068 Fax +44-29-2082-7001 Email [email protected]
Grey Water Guidelines (Use of Mosque Water for Irrigation)
Water is life and one Mosque can irrigate one hectare of land
The Project This project is a cost effective way of reducing water consumption. The guidelines in this document have been developed following three successful pilot projects carried out in Yemen between January and December 2006. It aims to improve the lives of the local population by reducing wastage and providing a source of irrigation to support the local economy and conserve diminishing resources.
What the Project does The main objectives of this project are to: Develop a grey-water treatment and distribution + facility to recover water used during the Wuduu' ritual and rainwater harvested from the Mosque roofs Use this water to irrigate land surrounding the + mosques for the provision of crops for the local population Provide the local population with a stable + economic resource Increase public awareness and encourage + sustainable management
Why do it? The Middle East and North Africa is the most waterscarce region in the world, home to 6.3% of the population and with only 1.4% of the world's renewable fresh water. Water consumption within the area is currently moving towards 600% utilisation. Since the 1970s the water supply situation within subSaharan countries has become critical. For example, overall annual water consumption in Yemen is estimated at 5 times the area’s recharge capabilities with groundwater around the main cities, like Sana'a dropping by 6 metres per year. In the last decade water has become the most limiting constraint on the development process and the Mosques are one of Yemen's most significant water consumers. It is estimated that if this scheme was implemented throughout Yemen, it would provide irrigation for over a third of the land currently used for agricultural purposes.
Site Selection Mosque selection is critical to the successful construction of grey water recycling. The factors in selecting or rejecting specific Mosques are: + The feasibility of separating the foul water from the grey
water (wuduu’ water) + Ownership of the land surrounding the Mosque + Cleanliness of the surrounding land + Agreement of the Mosque staff and attendees to
implement the project + Water availability
Separation of foul water from post-wuduu’ water The ability to separate the foul water from the grey water is the fundamental basis for this project. If this is not possible the site must be rejected. The quantities of water from wuduu’ must be commensurate with the intended irrigation requirements of the miqshaama.
Land Ownership A sufficient quantity of land near to the Mosque and suitable for growing crops for the benefit of the local community is a key requirement. Grey water recycling will require the agreement of the owners of the land to be irrigated. This is easiest if the land is waqf (the land is owned by the Mosque) and it may be very difficult to implement grey water recycling if the land is not waqf.
Cleanliness of the surrounding land The land surrounding the Mosque needs to be suitable for cultivation. Cultivating polluted land can lead to serious health problems as the crops may contain contaminants which are harmful if eaten.
Agreement of Mosque Staff In order to implement the project the Mosque needs to agree with the principles of grey water recycling. In religious terms, those responsible for the Mosque should agree that the reuse of grey water for irrigation is acceptable. There should also be a practical acceptance of the project, of what can be achieved from its implementation and a desire to make it succeed. Full discussions with both Mosque staff and those who operate the miqshaama (Mosque garden) at each stage of implementation, particularly during the detailed design stage, are needed to ensure that the stakeholders are receiving a project that they ‘own’.
Water Availability The Mosque needs to have an adequate attendance to ensure that sufficient grey water is produced for irrigation purposes. Although this project could be implemented in all Mosques, those which have an attendance sufficient to provide irrigation for at least one hectare offer the best opportunity.
Construction Facilities installed for water conservation will include grey water separation and storage, filtration to remove most of the suspended solids and an irrigation network. They might also include storage for rainwater collected from the roofs of the Mosque. To provide a good economic resource the land to be irrigated must grow socially acceptable/appropriate crops and use local labour, tools and materials as much as possible. § Construction should not proceed without a detailed design The Mosque staff and the miqshaama operators should be involved at the detailed design stage. Their comments throughout the construction phase are to be taken into account and if feasible incorporated into the project. § Those involved in the construction process must understand the processes of separation, filtration, operation and maintenance. § The filters contain two sizes of angular gravel (coarse, 1-inch and finer 1/8th inch) and are
separated using geotextile. The filters can also use graded sand and pea gravel. Where possible materials should be sourced locally. § A facility to bypass the filter should be built in at the construction stage so that the filter can be cleaned/replaced without interruption of the water supply to the miqshaama. § Tank sizes, pump and pipe specifications should be commensurate with flows. Flows are typically 1 to 2 litres/capita at prayer times. Low supply should be supplemented from alternative sources to maintain the miqshaama minimum requirements. § Permanent tanks, typically of 2000 litres, should be of reinforced concrete and temporary ones of GRP (glass reinforced plastic). Suitable stainless steel or plastic gully/gutter channel systems must be used with 50 – 100mm plastic piping for storage tank connections. § A provision for the discharge to sewers should be made for periods of flows/storage in excess of the design capacity. § Flow of water into the miqshaama is to be done by gravity as much as possible. If pumps are needed power requirements should be appropriate to the operation and maintenance technologies typically used in the country and the responsibility for payment for power should be clearly allocated and accepted before the project commences. § A simple water sampling and analysis programme should be in place to analyse for representative pathogens and basic parameters. Selection of targets and a response procedure to exceedences should be agreed on and adhered to. The following suite of tests is recommended for monitoring: E. Coli Ascaris Turbidity
Salmonella Suspended Solids Odour
§ Skilled supervision should be available locally and provided frequently, especially at the commencement of construction. Further details of the construction of the three pilot projects are available in a Technical Report (electronic version) from: Dr Lia Carol Sieghart - [email protected] or [email protected] Mr Mohammed Shamsan - [email protected]
Examples
Bi’r Xaabuut, Damaar Main reason for selection: Waqf available and Imaam willing to implement the project. The mosque serves around 100 people during weekday prayers and around 500 at Friday noon prayers. A miqshaama of around half a hectare is located around 500m across the Ta’iz road. An existing pipeline takes the post-wuduu’ water from the mosque to the miqshaama. This project provided: 1
A filtration tank built within the existing storage tank at the miqshaama
2
Improvement of the existing storage tank by renewing the internal cement lining, increasing the storage capacity and adding a cover
3
A separate section of the storage tank allowed vegetables to be washed without clogging the filter
Al Badr, Sana’a Main reason for selection: Waqf available and Imaam willing to implement the project. The project was incorporated within the current mosque building programme. This large mosque serves around 800 people during weekday prayers and around 3000 at Friday noon prayers. Within its grounds are around two hectares of land. There is also an area adjacent to the mosque grounds which is owned by the government. Increasing the availability of water by grey water recycling has increased the amount of planting possible within the land. This project provided: 1
Collection pipe for the wuduu’ water
2
A pump for the conveyance of water from the storage tank to the two irrigation networks
3
A filter/header tank between the wuduu' water storage tank and the irrigation networks, overflow connections from the storage tank to the sewerage system and supply connections from the rainwater storage tank to the wuduu’ water storage tank
Al Kabiir, Amraan Main reason for selection: Waqf available and Imaam willing to implement the project within phases of the mosque’s own development programme. The Kabiir mosque serves around 100 people during weekday prayers and around 400 at Friday noon prayers. One miqshaama of around one and a half hectares is located across a small road. A pipe from the post-wuduu’ storage tank to a second, open storage tank in the miqshaama was already in place beneath the road. The grey water recycling improvements allowed a second, undeveloped area of waqf of about ¾ hectare to be irrigated. This project provided: 1
A small post-wuduu’ collection tank which is gravity fed under the road to a second collection tank built in the miqshaama. The water is then pumped to a filtration tank from which it drains into the main existing storage tank
2
An output connection from the new filtration tank to the pipe of the existing storage tank in the miqshaama
3
A cover for the storage tank and an irrigation network to the miqshaama. The following people should be credited for the success of the projects: § HE the Minister of Water and Environment, Abdul-Rahman F. al-Eryani § Dr Hussien Al-Gunied, Deputy Minister § Mohammed Shamsan, Ministry of Water and Environment § Dr Lia Carol Sieghart, Ministry of Water and Environment § Frank DiSilvestro, Development Marketplace § Adrian Dolecki, Parsons Brinckerhoff § Lucia Collinwood, Parsons Brinckerhoff § Chris Handley, Consultant to Parsons Brinckerhoff
" 1 Mosque - 1 Hectare Sustainability of Water, Land & Man” Project programme for Yemen pilot
Identify 3 suitable mosques for scheme implementation MILESTONE 1 Agree objectives with project liaison Submit project agreement
Brief staff
Public awareness campaign
Visit by grey-water expert
4
2
IL
MILESTONE 4
ES
Produce greywater guidelines
TO
N ES
1
Preparation of mosques
M
Marketing & replication Development
Locate sources of local materials
MILESTONE 2
Business plan
3
Conservation front
Locate local labour Identify further potential sites Education of local labour in systems and equipment
MILESTONE 3 Construction Conservation front
Upgrade sewer system to seperate wash water from sewage water
Construct holding tank and pump system
Build channel system to irrigate orchard
Plant orchard to provide sustainable food source for local population
Education of local labour in system maintenance and use of water testing equipment
ISSUES Water is a limited resource
High grey-water production from mosques
Unused land adjacent to mosques
Education of local population
Sustainability
Replicability
OBJECTIVES Re-use grey-water produced by mosques
Provide a simple crop irrigation system
Establish a suitable food crop
Provide a source of local employment
Ensure replicability of the project
TARGETS Identify 3 mosques for the pilot project
Provide grey-water guidelines
Provide water sampling equipment
Plant orchards for each of the mosques
Educate local population in system maintenance
Public awareness campaign
Educate local population in use of analysis techniques
Promote project to Government
Thanks to Dr Lia Carol Sieghart for supplying the images
Client Dr Hussien Al Gunied Deputy Minister Department of Environmental Affairs Ministry of Environment in Yemen 418285 Sana'a Republic of Yemen Email [email protected]
World Bank Frank Disilvestro Development Marketplace World Bank Washington DC USA Tel +1 202-458-7612 Fax +1 202-614-0515 Email [email protected]
Advisor to Client Dr Lia Carol Sieghart International Environmental Advisor Ministry of Water and Environment PO Box 19237 418285 Sana'a Republic of Yemen Tel +967-1-418284 Mobile +967-71-789994 Fax +967-1-418296 Email [email protected]
Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd Adrian Dolecki Director Environment 29 Cathedral Road Cardiff United Kingdom Tel +44-29-2082-7032 Mobile +44-7779 326068 Fax +44-29-2082-7001 Email [email protected]
