TEL AVIV, Israel — The United Nations selected Israel’s Dan Region Wastewater Treatment Plant to serve as a global model that demonstrates the ability of local authorities to deal with environmental problems, the Haaretz Daily Newspaper reported.
The plant was chosen due to its unique method of using the natural filtration qualities of sand in order to improve the quality of sewage.
After wastewater is purified in an ordinary facility, it is recharged into the ground, where it undergoes an additional, natural filtration in the sands of Rishon Letzion and Yavne. This improves the quality of the water such that it can ultimately be used safely for all forms of irrigation.
The plant, known to Israelis as Shafdan, was among 30 projects that were listed in a special report of the UN Environment Programme and ICLEI, an international association of local governments that have made a commitment to sustainable development.