Israel Desalination Crisis Deepens as Ashkelon and Ashdod Plants Remain Shut
Israel's Ashkelon and Ashdod desalination plants remain shut down due to severe algae blooms. The government is funding emergency purchases of thousands of filtration membranes while boosting water pumping from the Sea of Galilee.
Desalination Crisis Drags On
A week after a major crisis struck Israel's desalination facilities, the Ministry of Energy and the Water Authority fear the disruption will persist for at least several weeks.
This comes as the Water Authority has yet to release the results of a controversial experiment conducted last Wednesday. During the trial, crop-dusters sprayed copper-based substances off the coast of Ashkelon in an attempt to dissolve microscopic algae that are threatening the filtration systems of the desalination plants.
While the Water Authority stated a day after the experiment that results were expected within 48 hours, no data has been released. The fact that the Ashkelon and Ashdod desalination plants remain completely shut down due to extreme water turbidity indicates that a solution has not yet been achieved.
Current Status of Facilities
Currently, most of the country's desalination capacity is struggling to operate:
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Hadera: The only facility operating normally since the beginning of the crisis.
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Ashkelon and Ashdod: Completely shut down due to high turbidity levels.
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Palmahim, Sorek A, and Sorek B: Operating at partial capacity due to fears that full-scale operation would clog their systems with microscopic algae.
Following a situational assessment held by the Ministry of Energy and the Water Authority, officials stated that "stability is being maintained in the systems" and that water supply, including to the agricultural sector, continues uninterrupted. This was enabled by the state water company, Mekorot, which significantly increased pumping from the Sea of Galilee over the weekend to fill reservoirs nationwide.
Emergency Equipment Procurement
To safeguard the water sector, the government has decided to purchase an emergency stock of specialized filtration membranes.
A senior official in the water sector stated:
"We are talking about thousands of dedicated membranes. This stock will allow immediate replacement if the filtration systems of the remaining operational plants become blocked by the algae."
The procurement will be state-funded, following an agreement reached last week between the Director General of the Water Authority, Hezi Lifshitz, and the managers of the desalination plants.
While Energy Minister Eli Cohen and the Water Authority repeatedly claimed last week that the crisis was nearing its end, today they struck a more cautious tone, stating that teams "continue to manage the event around the clock to ensure the resilience of the water sector." They also urged the public to "use water efficiently and responsibly."
Currently, at least five research groups are competing against the clock to find a scientific solution to the algae bloom. Following the spraying experiment carried out by Chimnir aviation, the Ministry of Health issued a precautionary advisory warning the public against fishing in the Ashkelon area. No official body had informed the public about the chemical spraying prior to the operation.
