Israeli Desalination Plants Resume Partial Operations as State Covers Filter Costs
Israeli desalination plants have resumed partial operations after a week-long shutdown caused by algae turbidity. The state will compensate operators for filter wear, preventing major consumer tariff hikes.
About a week after the shutdown of Israel's desalination plants, almost all facilities—excluding those in Ashkelon and Ashdod—have returned to partial operation, despite the fact that seawater turbidity caused by algae has not yet subsided.
According to the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the state will compensate the desalination plants for the accelerated wear and tear of their filtration systems. Under conservative estimates, the total compensation is expected to reach several tens of millions of shekels. Since this cost is relatively low compared to the overall revenues of the water sector, water tariffs for consumers are theoretically not expected to rise, or will increase by only a minor margin.
Algae Spraying Controversy and Technical Solutions
One of the central issues during this crisis involves the aerial spraying conducted over the sea to combat the algae bloom. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Water Authority stated that the professional consensus regarding the effectiveness of the spraying remains highly controversial. Currently, the spraying has not succeeded in reducing the seawater turbidity caused by the algae.
At present, the Sorek and Palmachim desalination plants have resumed partial operations despite the high turbidity, which causes increased wear on the filters. The state will cover these maintenance costs. Concurrently, the desalination plants are preparing to temporarily extend their water intake pipes further west into deeper waters, where turbidity levels are more manageable.
Because extending the intake pipes increases the cost of water production, the Water Authority currently views this as a temporary measure until the natural turbidity levels subside.
Geopolitical Commitments and Water Reserves
Regarding international water supply, Energy Minister Eli Cohen stated that Israel continues to supply water to the Gaza Strip in accordance with international law. Regarding water supply to Jordan under bilateral diplomatic agreements, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure emphasized that Israel honors its international treaties and is continuing its supply to Jordan.
Now in its eighth day, the crisis saw the first desalination facilities return to partial operation only within the last 24 hours.
The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure noted that Israel's water sector has prepared extensively in recent years for various emergency scenarios, primarily security-related, which included the shutdown of desalination plants. Although this shutdown was caused by ecological pollution rather than a security incident, the system was fully prepared. According to the Water Authority, Israel currently possesses twice the volume of available water required to meet national demand.
Initial assessments of filter degradation indicate an increase in wear and tear, but officials state it remains within reasonable parameters and has not reached extreme projections.
