Ain Yaacoub is part of the Joume village cluster in North Lebanon, which is home to around 70,000 Lebanese residents and 13,000 refugees. As the area is rich in underground water resources, the North Lebanon Water Establishment (NLWE) constructed a water pumping station in Ain Yaacoub to meet household water needs across the Joume cluster.

However, due to the nationwide economic crisis in 2019, state electricity provision was reduced to only four hours per day, prompting the NLWE to rely on an outdated 1,000 kVA back-up generator to operate the pumping station. Despite serving as a power source, the generator consumed a considerable amount of diesel fuel, which limited the NLWE’s ability to sustain its operation, especially amid the devaluation of the local currency and escalating fuel prices.

Meanwhile, installing a solar farm to ensure sustainable power to the pumping station was not possible, as the only available land for solar installation is very far from the station (1.2 km away), and its surface area is not adequate for enough solar panels to ensure effective power generation.   This led to a significant decline in water supply, and increased communal tensions over water shortages. In response, the USAID-funded Community Support Program (CSP), in collaboration with the NLWE, upgraded the Ain Yaacoub pumping station by providing and installing a more efficient 450 kVA back-up generator, which became operational in April 2024.

This intervention is not only meeting daily water needs for 83,000 people, but also significantly reducing fuel consumption, and saving the NLWE more than $10,000 in monthly operational costs. CSP has trained three workers from the NLWE on the operation and maintenance of the generator, environmental compliance, and the safe use of provided fire extinguishers in case of fire.

 “The savings generated from this cost-efficient generator has enabled the water establishment to reallocate funds to other underserved regions in North Lebanon,” said Akram Zakariya, Chief Operator of the Ayoun and Ain Yaacoub water stations.