National Strategy for the Wastewater Sector 2012.

This National Strategy for the Wastewater Sector is a nationwide sub-sectoral document that is part of the more general framework promoted by the Lebanese government to develop the water sector, particularly concerning potable water, irrigation, and wastewater. However, wastewater challenges in terms of infrastructure and institutional set-up, financing, and cost recovery are specific, requiring an integrated approach along the chain from wastewater generation through to ultimate reuse or disposal. This is the particular aim of this Strategy whose main goals are (i) to collect and treat all wastewater according to national standards and regional agreements; (ii) where economic, to reuse treated wastewater for agriculture, industrial, and amenity in line with national health and safety standards. As for the cost recovery, this will be based on the polluter pays principle. The document has set out its targets and initiatives based on two period-times (i) a short-medium term (2011-2015) and (ii) a long term (2016-2020), and to serve the projected population up to 2025-2030. The sector targets 2011-2020 are (i) increasing the present wastewater collection (60%) and treatment (8%) to 80% collection and treatment by 2015, and 95% collection and treatment by 2020; (ii) pre-treatment of all industrial wastewater by 2020; (iii) increasing reuse of treated effluent from zero percent in 2010 to 20% of treated wastewater by 2015, and of 50% by 2020; (iv) secondary treatment and reuse of all inland wastewater by 2020, and secondary treatment by 2020 of coastal wastewater where reuse is economically justified.
The collection and reuse of wastewater is the main measure proposed to protect the environment. To this end the Strategy envisages (i) an integrated and prioritized investment program for wastewater collection, treatment, and reuse; (ii) reuse of treated wastewater and sludge; (iii) the enforcement of the polluter pays principle.
For economic and socially inclusive growth, the main measures are (i) an integrated and prioritized investment program for wastewater collection, treatment, and reuse; (ii) cooperation between MoEW, Water Establishments (WEs), and municipalities for implementing networks; (iii) increased capacity building of the WEs; (iv) improve service delivery standards in water supply.
As for Governance, the Strategy aims to increase the institutional framework, in particular, it is deemed that (i) MoEW works with other concerned agencies to put in place the needed legal, regulatory, and policy measures to set and regulate standards; (ii) the promotion of the legal and regulatory framework through the issuance of by-laws specifying (a) responsibilities for setting and regulating standards for wastewater treatment and reuse; (b) the implementation of the 'polluter pays' principle; (c) responsibility for pre-treatment by polluting industries; (d) responsibilities for monitoring and enforcement; (iii) each WE, with MoEW support, works with the municipalities to prepare a regional wastewater master plan followed by an Investment Plan.