Water supply disruptions in Israel: Situation in Gush Dan
Due to severe seawater turbidity caused by weather conditions, five of Israel's six desalination plants have been shut down. Authorities have implemented water usage restrictions across several regions.
Due to a malfunction at the desalination plants, the Tel Aviv municipality has decided to reduce the use of water for non-essential purposes. It was decided to limit garden irrigation and the use of water in showers and taps on the beaches. The Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality and the "Mei Avivim" water corporation are in constant contact with the national company "Mekorot".
"We want to emphasize that the municipality and corporation teams are prepared for any scenario, are working to maintain functional continuity, and are holding ongoing situation assessments with all relevant parties," the municipality stated.
In Givatayim, the local water corporation also issued an announcement to residents:
"Following problems with the water supply in the national network, there may be disruptions in the coming hours, including a drop in pressure and water outages in certain areas. We ask the public to save water as much as possible and use it for essential needs only until a return to routine."
Since the morning hours, there have been severe disruptions in the water supply in the central region and to the south. The Water Authority has asked residents of Rishon LeZion and southwards to "make wise use" of water consumption. The disruptions were caused by weather conditions, which created exceptionally high turbidity in the seawater, resulting in the shutdown of five out of the six desalination plants in Israel: Ashkelon, Ashdod, Palmachim, Sorek A, and Sorek B.
In the Gezer Regional Council, residents were requested to immediately close irrigation systems and taps intended for home gardens and agriculture. Water associations were instructed to stop watering agricultural and public areas to maintain the continuity of domestic supply. As of now, there is no water supply only in Karmei Yosef, but other settlements may be affected later. In the Eshkol Regional Council, farmers were also asked to immediately reduce the use of fresh water for agricultural purposes.
To deal with the shortage, the water sector is utilizing local boreholes, and "Mekorot" is reinforcing available production means. The Water Authority stated that the sector is being managed fully and that some of the desalination plants are expected to return to operation in the near future.
