Due to the lack of water networks in the cities, villages and camps within Idlib, families depend on water tanks to provide their water needs.

In cooperation with the Space of Peace Organization, WATAN launched a project to build water stations in the city of Arihah in the Idlib governorate with hybrid solar energy systems. This will ensure families will have access to clean and sterilized drinking water and decreases the dependence on tankers and diesel generators for the provision of water. High fuel prices and the difficulty of securing spare parts for electric generators means the alternative, solar energy is more advantageous. It has a low operating cost compared to diesel or public electricity generators and is easily accessible to all beneficiaries quickly and with high quality.

The project, which launched August 2022 and has an estimated end date of December 2023, aims to power two water-pumping stations with two solar energy systems with the following capacities:

– Al-Omran station (125 HP).

– East Station (250 HP).

The project is scheduled to provide the following services:

1- Installing hybrid solar energy systems.

2- Training technical staff and raising the level of workers in order to maintain and operate the system.

3- Follow up of the systems after the final installation.

4- Providing job opportunities at water stations for the unemployed. They will be selected from within the camp and qualified to guard and operate the system.

Up until the end of the month the following has been completed:

• The needs assessment:

The engineering team within WATAN carried out a need assessment regarding the relevant areas to the project. It discovered families were struggling to have access to water due the increasing population in these areas. There was also no operational support for the water stations. It was found that the stations that were considered in the assessment were suitable for solar energy systems due to the sufficient space around them for the solar panels, as well as pumps which were already present compatible with solar energy.

 

• Project design and planning stage:

Some of the following methods were adopted in the project planning stage such as:

• Determining work sites through google earth to find the exact locations in relation to latitude and longitude.
• Collecting data for water stations (the number of beneficiaries, the number of wells and the required amount, the available equipment, the number of working hours, etc.)
• Preparing the full design and all engineering plans.
• Designing the systems using the advanced three-dimensional engineering program. This was done such that it avoided the occurrence of shadows on the solar panels, and determined the optimal distances between the racks angle of inclination for the panels.
• Simulating systems on AutoCAD and designing the electrical diagram of the whole system.
• Using advanced engineering programs to calculate the system parameters (cable sections, circuit breakers capacity, protection systems, etc.)
• Implementation stage:
• The contract was signed with the contractor in April 2022.
• Signing memoranda of understanding with government agencies responsible for receiving and following up on the project.
• Implementation of plans by contractor.
• Samples were submitted to be examined to ensure they comply with the technical conditions submitted in his proposal.

The project, which is in its early stages of implementation, is expected to reach 35,000 beneficiaries, including 28,000 who are already resident, as well as 7,000 displaced people.

It is expected to achieve the following results:

• Providing clean and sterilized water at almost zero financial cost.
• Drinking water reaches all beneficiaries quickly and of high quality.
• Eliminating water transportation through tankers, this will particularly benefit those in mountainous areas where it is difficult to deliver the water.
• Relying on clean, renewable energy that does not lead to air or water pollution, in comparison to diesel generators.
• Reducing the operating, maintenance, and breakdown costs of diesel generators.
• Providing job opportunities for the residents of those communities.

Train technical staff well and raise the level of workers in order to maintain the system well.