State Comptroller Warned Repeatedly of Risks to Israel's Desalination Facilities

Multiple State Comptroller reports issued in recent years have highlighted significant deficiencies and risks within Israel's desalination facilities and water sector. These reports, authored by former Comptroller Matanyahu Englman, have repeatedly warned about vulnerabilities to contamination, inadequate preparedness for cyberattacks, and insufficient readiness for the impacts of climate change.

One report from November 2024, focusing on the regulation and oversight of seawater desalination plants, found that between 2007 and the end of 2023, production was halted 14 times due to seawater contamination. These shutdowns, lasting from several hours to five days, were caused by issues such as microbial contamination, fuel and oil pollution, and turbidity in the seawater. Microbial contamination accounted for approximately 57% of these raw water quality incidents, with fuel and oil pollution causing about 29%, and turbidity during storms or earthquakes responsible for around 14%.

The Comptroller also recommended that the Ministry of Health conduct regular surveys on algal toxins and other toxins released by invasive species into the water, develop a response plan, and monitor its implementation. The reports underscore the need for the water sector to address a range of threats, including marine pollution, cyberattacks, and environmental and climate changes, to ensure water supply continuity during extreme events.

Further risks identified include gaps in cybersecurity preparedness. A December 2022 report on the cybersecurity of local water providers revealed that some water corporations received low scores in their readiness for cyberattacks, with checks conducted on only a portion of these entities. By May 2022, not all water providers designated for connection to the Ministry of Energy's cyber monitoring center had been connected. The Comptroller advised promoting regulations mandating water providers to implement monitoring and defense systems against cyber incidents and to develop information security plans.

An October 2021 report on the government's climate change preparedness found that the Water Authority department responsible for desalination plants had not adequately prepared for the potential impacts of climate change on these facilities. The Comptroller recommended that the Water Authority examine specific scenarios related to climate change's effects on seawater composition and identify necessary measures to mitigate risks to the plants.