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The Environment and Sustainable Developmentdischarged from wastewater treatmentplants indicates a high percentage ofnon-compliance. The major areas of concernare groundwater contamination, internal orexternal contamination of crops, andtranslocation to grazing animals.Among the major sources of water pollutionis domestic and agricultural wastewater. Theamount of domestic wastewater wasestimated at 3.6 BCM for the year 1995/96.Most treated and untreated domesticwastewater is directed to the agriculturalsector. Currently, the government is developinga national policy to encourage the reuse ofdrainage water by mixing it with freshwater.Irrigation WastewaterIrrigation wastewater is considered a nonpointsource of pollution. The wastewater iscollected by drains that pour their loads intothe river Nile, the northern lakes, orirrigation canals to be mixed for reuse.Eventually, non-point sources of pollutionmay affect the quality of groundwater.Pesticides enter the hydrosphere via thedirect discharge of wastewater, runoff fromnon-point sources, and leaching through thesoil. If not properly handled, pesticides cancause serious health and environmentalproblems. During 1998, for example, 5,300pesticide poisoning cases were reported.Industrial WastewaterIndustrial wastewater is a major source ofcontamination by heavy metals.Unfortunately, once discharged into waterways,these attach to sediment particles and arethereby passed to bottom-dwellingorganisms. The subsequent consumption ofthese organisms produces successivelyhigher concentrations that cause toxicitywhen reaching certain level at the top of thefood chain. Crops irrigated with contaminatedwater may take up contaminants through thesoil and roots, or may retain thecontaminants on the crop surface aftercontact with irrigation water.Drinking WaterPoor quality drinking water is a concern formany in Egypt. This is due, in part, to thefact that sources of raw water for manyareas have become increasingly polluted,and therefore require more sophisticatedtreatment to produce drinking water ofadequate quality. Furthermore, water treatmentunits do not always function properly as aresult of poor maintenance andinappropriate operational procedure. Evenwhen water treatment is satisfactory,drinking water, in some old districts andsettlements, is sometimes contaminatedthrough leaking distribution networks.Rooftop water storage tanks have also beenidentified as a source of bacterial contaminationof drinking water. The results of theanalysis of random drinking water samplescollected from conventional treatmentfacilities during 1998, indicated noncompliancewith Egyptian standards.Samples that failed to meet these standardsranged from 6.3 per cent in the governorateof Matrouh to 15.2 per cent in South Sinai.This ratio was much higher in areas usinggroundwater as their source of drinkingwater. Bacteriologically contaminatedsamples ranged from 12 percent in Giza to43.6 per cent in Ismailia. With regard tochemical contaminants, non-compliancewas much higher, ranging from 20.8 percent in Gharbia to 73.7 per cent in NorthSinai. Total reported cases of infectiousdiseases in 1998 amounted to 50,328.Air PollutionOne of the environmental crises resultingfrom rapid urban growth associated withglobalization, is the deterioration of airquality. The issue of ambient air pollutionhas become a main environmental priorityin Egypt. Air pollution comes from naturaland human-made sources. Natural airpollution sources are wind-blown dustcoming from desert areas. Human sourcesare of two main types: stationary andmobile. The first includes industrialfacilities, thermal power stations, somecommercial residential buildings, openburning of garbage and agriculturalresidues. Mobile sources include passengercars, buses, trucks, motorcycles, and othervehicles. More than fifteen millionEgyptians residing in cities are exposed tolevels of dust and smoke, known collectivelyas Total Suspended Particles (TSP), whichexceed WHO standards. Air qualityCurrently, thegovernment isdeveloping a nationalpolicy to encouragethe reuse of drainagewater by mixing itwith freshwater.Egypt Human Development Report 2000/2001 - 71