Igudan

The Association of Cities for Environmental Infrastructure is the body that collects, transports, and treats the wastewater of approximately 2.5 million residents from 23 local authorities in central Israel. Igudan was founded by the seven largest municipalities of the Gush Dan area: Tel Aviv-Yafo, Holon, Ramat Gan, Bnei Brak, Givatayim, Bat Yam, and Petah Tikva. Its central goal is to transform a nuisance (wastewater) into a resource (water for agricultural use). To that end, Igudan established the Shafdan facility—one of the most advanced and largest wastewater treatment plants in the world—where water is treated and transformed into drinking water quality.

Every day, the residents of Gush Dan produce about 400,000 cubic meters of sewage, which constitutes roughly 40% of the total wastewater of the State of Israel. Wastewater is generated in many ways: from showers, kitchen sinks, bathrooms, dishwashers, washing machines, and industrial plants. Given that Israel is a desert country, coupled with the global climate crisis, original thinking and an ecological approach toward water resources are essential. Recycling wastewater for reuse in agriculture is one of the ways to do this.

Transforming Wastewater from a Nuisance into a Precious Resource

In order to meet the needs of the growing population in central Israel and with a long-term ecological vision, Igudan is adapting to a new reality by upgrading its systems and planning new projects to build a green and clean future. Achieving the goals for which the association was established—such as the collection and disposal of wastewater, preventing public health and environmental nuisances, protecting streams, the sea, and groundwater, transforming wastewater into high-quality water, and improving the sewage conveyance system—does not mean that the association rests on its laurels. In order to stop environmental pollution and the contamination of groundwater in the communities east and south of Gush Dan, the scope of wastewater collection will be expanded beyond its current boundaries.

Water Recycling

Igudan’s vision is to transform wastewater into high-quality water suitable for all types of agricultural crops in the country, while preserving the daily life in the cities of Gush Dan. In fact, by the end of the process, the quality of the recycled water is nearly that of drinking water. Already today, out of 100% of the wastewater entering Igudan’s systems, approximately 140,000,000 cubic meters are recycled into the water supply in Israel, of which about 96% becomes water for agriculture. Currently, about 70% of the agricultural lands in the northern Negev and the Gaza envelope are irrigated using Shafdan water, thereby saving millions of liters of drinking water for the State of Israel. In the future, these numbers are expected to grow.

Sludge Recycling

Sludge is a solid organic material that is an integral part of the wastewater treatment process. It originates from the solids that settle in the primary treatment basins and from microorganisms that break down the organic matter in the wastewater. The sludge contains a high concentration of nutrients derived from basic food materials. At first glance, sludge may seem like waste and a nuisance, but thanks to advanced treatment using anaerobic digesters, we also transform it into a resource—as a raw material and fertilizer for agriculture.