WRAP Completes Initial Stages of Pilot Project

Water Resources Action Project Completes Initial Stages of Pilot Project at Sur Baher Girls School

March 2011

A rain barrel at Sur Baher Girls SchoolThe Water Resources Action Project (WRAP), in cooperation with Friends of the Earth Middle East and Only Green Environmental Center, has finished construction of its first rain harvesting system at the Sur Bahr Girls School in East Jerusalem. The system collects rainwater that runs off the roof and sidewalks of the school into 9 tanks, and has the capacity to collect and store 13,500 liters of water that can be used for flushing toilets, greatly reducing the school’s municipal water usage and related costs.

The installation is complemented by a curriculum on water conservation and the impact of beneficially reusing the rainfall collected. The project is raising awareness of water usage among the students and the local community through research combined with hands-on learning.

“Working along side the teachers and greater community, WRAP will continue to measure and monitor the system’s effectiveness, providing assistance with education, outreach, and maintenance, all crucial to the sustainability of any such effort,” remarks Marianne Horinko, Chair of WRAP.

WRAP will be making its next trip to the Middle East in May of this year to participate in the pilot project dedication and gather information on potential school candidates for the group’s next rain harvesting system.