Bethlehem University - The Water and Soil Environmental Research Unit (WSERU)

Home | Search

The Water and Soil Environmental Research Unit (WSERU)

For further information please visit the WSERU WEBSITE:

http://wseru.bethlehem.edu

for recent publications, research, activities and access to members of the team (Dr. Alfred Abed Rabbo – Director, Br.David Scarpa - Chief Scientist, Reem Zeitoun - Chief Analyst and Manal Abed Rabbo - Lab Researcher)

The commitment of Bethlehem University to the needs of the local The commitment of Bethlehem University to the needs of the local Palestinian community is part of its founding statement. Particular needs were identified following an extensive socio-economic survey conducted by the university during the late 1980s. The university's outreach programme was based on the findings of this survey. The Water and Soil Environmental Research Unit (WSERU) is part of this Outreach Programme, and was established in 1988 by the Chemistry Department. WSERU has been able to respond effectively to requests from a large number of municipal authorities for help and information on water quality issues. WSERU has set up an ongoing data base on the water quality of the West Bank and Gaza. The unit has also developed a programme for water and soil analysis for our graduates and others for whom such techniques are valuable in their careers.

A comprehensive survey of the water quality of springs, wells, surface and network water was conducted during the early 1990s funded by the Ford Foundation “Pollution in the Mountain Aquifer” (Abed Rabbo et al., 1997). In 1999 the WSERU team published two books, “Springs in the West Bank: Water Quality and Chemistry “, and “ Wells in the West Bank: Water Quality and Chemistry “. Subsequent research, concentrating on the southern West Bank has been funded by Irish Development Aid (Abed Rabbo et al., 1998,1999).

The West Bank is an area of water stress, and so WSERU's concern is with water quantity as well as quality. WSERU cooperates fully with the Palestinian Water Authority and also works with relevant international and local NGOs, academic and professional institutions. We provide data and make recommendations to the appropriate agencies.

Field Work:

WSERU conducts frequent field work studies. Following a general survey of the water resources throughout the entire WB( project funded by the Ford Foundation) Assessing Pollution and Water Quality Evaluation of the Water Resources of the Mountain Aquifer and the Drinking Water it Supplies, by Dr.Alfred Abed Rabbo, Br.David Scarpa, Ziad Qannam (1997). WSERU has subsequently concentrated its work in the Southern West Bank and a final implementation report , A Comprehensive study of the Water Resources of the Southwestern, Mediterranean Drainage from the Mountain Aquifer, by Dr.Alfred Abed Rabbo and Br.David Scarpa (1999).

The WSERU team has subsequently engaged in sampling springs , wells, cisterns, reservoirs and network outlets. The WSERU lab conducted extensive chemical and biological analysis on collected samples. Our procedure in the field is to have two sampling bottles for each site. A 330 ml glass bottle is used for each sample intended for bacterial tests and a polyethylene, 1L bottle for each sample intended for chemical and heavy metal analysis. Each bottle, before departure, is disinfected and sterilized in the WSERU laboratory, with 70% alcohol or by autoclave respectively. In the field, bottles are first rinsed with the water intended for sampling. Each bottle is filled completely and placed in a cold box and taken back to the WSERU laboratory. If necessary additives inhibiting bacterial growth, are added to the samples. Direct measurements are made at each site with the WSERU field system, a Mettler Toledo set of probes, giving readings for temperature, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS) and pH.

Centers of BU

Top Of Page