Alexandria’s sewer network, pumping stations, and treatment plants were falling apart. Untreated sewage formed ponds and flooded city streets. Fourteen outfalls were disposing raw sewage along the beaches of Alexandria into the Mediterranean Sea, contaminating both the sea and the beaches.

Since 1987, USAID has supported improvements in wastewater collection, pumping, treatment, and disposal in Alexandria, Egypt - an investment of $425 million through the Alexandria Wastewater System Expansion Phase I Project. Under this USAID project, 211 Kilometers of sewer pipes, six major pumping stations, two state-of-the-art treatment plants, and sludge disposal facility were constructed.

In order to accommodate population growth until the year 2010, USAID invested an additional $113 million for a phase II project to expand the capacity of the treatment plants and upgrade the pumping stations constructed under phase I. USAID also financed an institutional development program for the Alexandria wastewater authority to provide sustainability of projects and improve services for citizens of Alexandria.

Today, and for many years to come, four million citizens of Alexandria enjoy improved health and better quality of life through reliable and sustainable wastewater services. With improved sanitation, cases of water borne diseases such as typhoid and hepatitis, and infant mortality rates have dropped significantly. Tourism and other economic activities have increased markedly with resulting benefits to the population of Alexandria.