"Completion of the Shafdan Eastern Line, at a cost of NIS 650 million, will allow the construction of 100,000 housing units in the eastern Dan region, including the Ono valley, Petah Tikva, and Rosh Ha'Ayin," says Dan Region Cities Association chairman Etay Pinkas. He added that, prior to the construction of the sewage line, many building plans for this region could not be approved because of the lack of a sewage treatment solution. This obstacle has now been removed.
The Shafdan Eastern Line handles the sewage of 700,000 residents. The 25-kilometer line runs from Rosh Ha'Ayin to the Shafdan sewage treatment plant in Rishon LeZion, including a 15-kilometer underground section 42 meters deep. The line has three pumping stations with a maximum capacity of 12,000 cubic meters per hour.
The Shafdan Eastern Line will collect the sewage from cities located east of the Geha Highway (Road no. 4), including Rosh Ha'Ayin, Petah Tikva, Givat Shmuel, Kiryat Ono, Kfar Azar, Or Yehuda, Yehud, Ramat Efal, and Lod and its environs, as well as Holon and Rishon LeZion, and send it to the Shafdan sewage treatment plant. The treated sewage is either pumped into the aquifer or sent by a separate pipeline to the Negev for use in crop irrigation.
Planning of the Shafdan Eastern Line was begun in the 1990s. The line also serves as an alternative sewage line for the Dan region to prevent the discharge of untreated sewage into the Mediterranean when the Shafdan Main Line is undergoing maintenance work or repairs. Construction of the Shafdan Eastern Line began in 2004, 14 years after the decision to build it. The start of construction was delayed because of statutory problems and the objections of communities along the planned route. It took the intervention of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to get the work started.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 23, 2008
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2008