Parliament ratified a loan agreement with the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED). The loan, valued at $48 million, will fund two wastewater systems in Khiam and Shakra-Marjayoun.

Wastewater will be treated in order to be used in the irrigation of the Marjayoun plain. The overall length of the Khiam system is 140 kilometers. It will serve seven villages. A secondary treatment plant will be constructed to treat 5,200 cubic meters of wastewater per day.

The Shakra system has a total length of 110 kilometers and passes through six villages. A primary treatment plant with the capacity to treat 4,200 cubic meters of wastewater will be constructed.

More than 140,000 square meters of land will be expropriated to carry out the project.

The loan will be paid over 40 installments, following a five-year grace period. The annual interest to be paid by the Government is two percent.

The Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) will handle the project’s management. Fees related to potable water and wastewater will be reviewed in order for the South Water Establishment to make enough revenues to cover operation, maintenance, and debt service. The Water Establishment will have also to prove that it is collecting due fees from all subscribers.