"Unprecedented situation": Water Authority CEO warns of malfunction at desalination plants
The CEO of the Water Authority warns of an extraordinary event not seen in 20 years, which caused an almost complete shutdown of the system. These are the steps taken to prevent damage to the supply to homes.
Water Authority CEO Yehiyel Lifshitz commented on Tuesday on the unusual malfunction at desalination plants in Israel, caused by the infiltration of microscopic algae from the direction of Egypt. In a conversation with Anat Davidov on 103FM radio, Lifshitz explained that this is an event exceptional in its scope, unknown to the system since the beginning of the operation of desalination plants in Israel.
"We are in an unprecedented situation that we have never experienced," said Lifshitz.
According to him, this is a phenomenon that has not been recorded over the last 20 years. Lifshitz explained that the algae cause clogging of the membranes at the desalination plants, resulting in significant damage to production capacity.
"We have six desalination plants that operate routinely throughout the year. At the moment, because of the algae causing the clogging of the membranes, in fact only one plant, the northern one in Hadera, is operating," he said.
Despite the damage to desalination capacity, the Water Authority emphasizes that steps are being taken to maintain the water supply. Lifshitz said that the Authority has increased the use of additional water sources, including the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) and boreholes throughout the country.
"We have activated the pumping from the Sea of Galilee to the maximum, the water boreholes throughout the country, and we are trying to supply," said the Water Authority CEO. According to him, as of now, the water supply to residents' homes continues fully, except for localized problems.
The impact is also felt in the agricultural sector. Lifshitz noted that alongside the continued supply of water for agriculture in the north of the country, there is currently a localized difficulty in supplying water to farmers in the south.
The event places the water system in Israel before a significant challenge, mainly due to the dependence on desalination plants as a central source for water supply. The Water Authority is trying in the meantime to balance between the decrease in the activity of the desalination plants and the activation of alternative water sources, with the goal of preventing damage to the supply to the public. The current situation highlights the need for careful management of the water economy, especially when an unusual malfunction hits several desalination plants simultaneously.
