The European Union has launched a €10 million low-volume desalination project in Gaza Strip, Ynet learned Sunday. The plant, which became operational as part of the EU's efforts to facilitate the governing mechanism in the Palestinian Authority, spans across 7.4 acres earmarked to the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis, the Palestinian news agency WAFA said. Related stories: Desalination bid could see Israel export water 'Israel missing 2B cubic meters of water' Israeli-Palestinian conflict muddies water meet The allocation order had reportedly come directly from the Mukataa, i.e. – from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Acting EU envoy to the West Bank and Gaza, John Gatt-Rutter, signed a memorandum of understanding to that effect with Palestinian Water Authority Chief Shaddad Attili, the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility and UNICEF. Contraction of the plant is to be complete by 2015. An EU statement said that "this medium-term intervention responds to the humanitarian water crisis in Gaza. Once completed, it will provide safe drinking water and water for domestic use to about 75,000 people in Gaza Strip." "As the EU has reiterated in the past, the continued policy of closure in Gaza has damaged the natural environment, notably water and other natural resources," Gatt- Rutter said. "I hope that this intervention can bring real change for some Palestinians living under unsustainable conditions in the Strip." Attili lauded the EU's initiative, saying: “The facility is one component of a rolling program of interventions designed to tackle Gaza’s acute water problems and save its underground aquifer from imminent collapse." Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan also welcomed the initiative, reiterating a past statement saying “I believe the issue of water should be kept out of the (Israeli-Palestinian) conflict." Follow Ynetnews on Facebook, Twitter and Google+