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RAMALLAH, March 21, 2013 (WAFA) – Israel controls the renewable water resources, restricts access to it and imposes obstacles on the drilling of new water wells, Palestinian central bureau of statistics (PCBS) and the Palestinian water authority (PWA) said Thursday.

PCBC and PWA, in a press release issued on the occasion of the world water day March 22, 2013 presenting the key indicators related to water in Palestine, said that Israel controls the majority of renewable water resources totaling 750 MCM, while Palestinians receive only about 120 MCM.

They added that Israel is the one to be blamed for the shortage in water in Palestine, whereas 75 MCM of water supplied to the settlements, of which 44 MCM was obtained from wells controlled by Israel in the West Bank.

Moreover, Water is priced at 2.7 NIS per cubic meter in the West Bank and 2.4 NIS per cubic meter in the Gaza Strip, households not connected to water network pay higher prices, according to statistics.

Results from the 2011 survey showed that 91.8% of households in Palestine live in housing units connected to a water network; 89.4% in the West Bank and 96.3% in the Gaza Strip.

Households that are not connected to water networks rely on purchasing water tanks that are extremely expensive (24.4 NIS per cubic meter), and there is no guarantee of the water quality, said PCBC and PWA.

F.R.