Nitrate Water Pollution Risk in the Lower Jordan Valley
235
groundwater and soil degradation in the val1ey floor. Both groups of aquifers are
subject to considerable nitrogen pol1ution from uncontrol1ed domestic wastewater
disposal and from agriculture. Agriculture has a particularly high impact, because
of high usage of chemical and organic fertilizers. If these aquifers become affected
by such pol1ution sources, water will have higher nitrate levels, which, when used
for drinking, might have negative health effects.
D Ta rget area
D Wate r relevant area
Settlements and population numbers
50
500
500
1.000
• 1.000
5.000
• 5.000 20.000
•
20 .000
500.000
Cenomanian Aquifer rec ha rge areas
o Lower Cenomanian Aquifer
R Upper Cenomanian Aq uifer
o 10 20 30 Kilometers
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: ..
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Fig. 1. Overview of the Lower Jordan Valley with target area (T A) in the valley floor and
the adjacent water-relevant area (WRA) with locations of population centers (towns,
vilJages, settlements) and recharge areas of the Cenomanian aquifers. The recharge areas of
the Pleistocene aquifer cover nearly all of the valley floor and much of the Nablus and
Tubas districts. The recharge of the shallow groundwater is all over the valley floor