Israel Shuts Down Key Desalination Plant Again Amid Rising Pollution

Israel's most important desalination facility, Sorek A, was shut down again overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday due to a renewed rise in pollution levels in its vicinity. Currently, only Sorek B and Palmahim, which together form one of five "whole" facilities, are operating at partial capacity. This follows Energy Minister Eli Cohen's decision on Tuesday to partially reactivate Sorek B and Palmahim to prevent a water shortage for domestic use, despite exceeding permissible pollution levels. There is concern that the desalination plant membranes could be damaged, with the state having committed to compensate private operators for any such harm. New footage has revealed that the pollution was visible in Israel about a week ago and did not dissipate over the weekend.

Minister Cohen stated on Wednesday morning, "Despite the unusual natural phenomenon, the water economy is proving its resilience. Thanks to intensive work, we have renewed water supply to agriculture, and water supply to households continues as usual. I thank the workers of the Water Authority, Mekorot, and the Ministry of Energy for their dedicated work for the benefit of Israeli citizens."

On Tuesday, five out of six private desalination plants were temporarily shut down due to increased turbidity in seawater. Consequently, the Water Authority and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure instructed local authorities to reduce public gardening and agricultural activities, as well as other public water usage. The Water Authority clarified that "supply to homes will continue, and the scope of activity in places with a localized problem will be reduced with localized treatment by the Water Authority's operations center at these sites." However, the authority did not address potential tap water shortages.

The Ministry of Energy also reported that the supply of fresh water for agriculture and public gardening had not yet resumed, with aspirations to bring additional facilities online by Wednesday night, depending on water quality improvements. Meanwhile, Channel 13 reported on Tuesday that the Water Authority was considering reactivating a desalination plant against regulations, despite low water quality, due to fears of a shortage, with one official stating, "We may take a calculated risk."

Two days prior, the Water Authority announced that severe seawater turbidity, caused by the previous weekend's weather, had led to the temporary shutdown of some private desalination plants. This prompted the authority to instruct a reduction in the supply of fresh water to agriculture in the south. The Water Authority assured that "the water economy is fully managed, with the Mekorot company immediately reinforcing all available production means," adding that "according to current estimates, some desalination facilities will soon return to operation."