Unusual Sea Conditions Halt Desalination Plants South of Hadera

Unusual sea conditions on Monday led to a temporary halt in the operation of desalination plants located south of Hadera, Israel. The Water Authority confirmed that the abnormal sea conditions impacted water quality, necessitating the temporary shutdown of some facilities. Concurrently, instructions were issued to reduce the supply of fresh water to agriculture in the southern region.

The Water Authority explained that the weather conditions caused significant turbidity in the seawater, making continued regular operation impossible at some plants. They emphasized that Israel's water economy continues to function normally, with the national water company Mekorot immediately increasing production from all available sources. It is anticipated that some plants will resume operations shortly, depending on improvements in seawater quality.

Professional teams are monitoring the conditions, and full operation of all facilities will be restored once the turbidity decreases and the water becomes clear again. The Water Authority stated they are preparing for various possible scenarios.

Amidst the operational halt, concerns arose that a cyber incident might be responsible, given past attempts to harm water infrastructure in Israel and globally. However, an industry source clarified to N12 that "this is not a cyber incident." Fears of attacks on water systems were also raised earlier this month following a US report of a cyberattack attributed to Iran targeting water systems in seven countries. At that time, Israel's National Cyber Directorate stated that Israel faces daily cyberattacks across all sectors. The Directorate noted that Iranian actors have repeatedly attempted to harm Israel's water sector, but to date, "no significant damage has been sustained in the cyber domain."