Through its Industrial Wastewater Treatment Project (IWT), CSP is supporting Lebanese industries willing to invest in proper treatment of their wastewater. Within this intervention, CSP is implementing a rebate program to partially reimburse partner industries for the costs of installing equipment to incentivize them to mitigate their industrial wastewater pollution. Cortas Canning & Refrigerating Co. – one of CSP’s partner industries which specializes in the production of Tahini (sesame paste) and Haleweh (sesame paste sweets) – completed and tested the installation of an industrial wastewater treatment plant on its premises in December 2022. The installed equipment includes a dissolved air flotation unit and activated sludge biological treatment that treats up to 220m³ of wastewater per day. In exchange for installing the equipment and demonstrating that its treated wastewater is within the permissible environmental level values, Cortas will receive a rebate of $45,000 in USAID assistance, the maximum amount per industry according to CSP’s IWT grant threshold. This activity represents an important achievement by CSP’s wastewater management team, especially given the reduced financial capacities and environmental incentives of Lebanese companies and industries amidst the ongoing socio-economic crisis.

“By installing this wastewater treatment system thanks to support from USAID’s CSP, Cortas is significantly reducing its wastewater pollution and is now compliant within the national environmental limit values,” stated Engineer Tarek al Hajj, maintenance manager responsible for the wastewater facility.