Gazans told to boil water as Israeli-Egyptian siege leads to chlorine shortage

Gazans told to boil water as chlorine runs low
Siege enforcers blame  Gazans 

GAZA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The Palestinian water utility urged Gazans on Wednesday to boil their drinking water and said contamination was a risk because an Israeli-led blockade was choking off chlorine supplies. 

The Coastal Municipalities Water Utility, which runs the Gaza water system, said it was struggling to disinfect water due to shortages of chemicals as well as spare parts for pumps and other equipment.
But Israel, which has tightened restrictions on the Hamas-run enclave in what it says is a response to militant rocket fire, said it only received a request for chlorine on Wednesday and was still processing it.
The CMWU said 52 of Gaza's 140 water wells had no chlorine and the others were fast running out. The utility posted a newspaper advert on Wednesday warning the Gaza Strip's 1.5 million residents the situation could prompt an epidemic.
"Until we resolve the problem, the people of Gaza should boil water to disinfect it," CMWU official Monther Shoblak said. 

Peter Lerner, spokesman for Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, said the CMWU should have requested that chlorine be allowed into Gaza earlier. 

Gaza's water supply has been patchy for some time. The CMWU says it cannot import spare parts to repair old pumps due to Israeli sanctions. Israel says some equipment, such as metal pipes, is banned for fear militants would use it to assemble makeshift rockets. 

Israel closed Gaza's crossings to most non humanitarian goods in June after Hamas Islamists seized control of the territory, and has since tightened restrictions further.