Contamination of groundwater aquifers and springs as a result of wastewater percolation from cesspits. This is already a serious problem for the villages of Wadi Fukin and Battir, where villagers use spring water for irrigation purposes, and for the village of Artas, where villagers are dependent on spring water for both domestic and irrigation purposes. This problem, is compounded when the irrigated crops include tomato, cauliflower, squash, eggplants, and other field crops, as there is direct contact of their fruits with the wastewater, and because some of these fruits are often eaten fresh. Almost all of the car oil-changing facilities in the Bethlehem District, as well as the rest in the of the West Bank, dispose of their oil in the open fields. The disposed oil imposes a serious threat to the quality of the underground water and the fertility of the land.
Car oils can be and are recycled in many countries around the world.
The provision of an adequate wastewater collection and disposal system requires immediate attention from the authorities and official institutions. Public awareness, especially among farmers and consumers, must be heightened. The potential danger of improper sewage disposal to human health and welfare should be stressed. Authorities must enforce regulations that require proper wastewater disposal by individuals, and industrial facilities to prevent pollution.