Unusual Weather Halts Israel's Desalination Plants Temporarily

Unusual weather conditions caused severe turbidity in seawater, leading to the temporary shutdown of desalination plants south of Hadera. This disruption prompted warnings to residents in the Shefela and southern regions to prepare for potential water outages. The community of Carmei Yosef received a direct notification advising residents to stock up on water due to a nationwide supply issue.

The Water Authority confirmed the details, explaining that the compromised seawater quality necessitated the temporary halt in operations at some facilities. As a supplementary measure, the supply of fresh water for agriculture in the south was reduced. The Regional Council of Ramat Negev announced that due to "serious malfunctions in the national desalination system," farmers in the area were instructed to cease all irrigation for several hours. Residents were also urged to refrain from watering private gardens and open green spaces.

Despite the severe seawater turbidity, the Water Authority emphasized that the national water economy continues to function normally, with Mekorot, the national water company, increasing production from available sources. Experts are continuously monitoring water quality to resume full operations once sea clarity improves. Concerns about a potential cyberattack arose due to the plant shutdowns, given past attempts to target water infrastructure globally and in Israel. However, an industry source clarified that this incident was not cyber-related.

Earlier this month, following U.S. reports of an Iranian-attributed cyberattack on water systems in seven countries, Israel's National Cyber Directorate stated that while Iran frequently attempts to attack Israel's water sector, no significant damage has occurred.