Algae Bloom Threatens Israel's Desalination Plants, Water Supply

Satellite images from Thursday morning reveal no improvement in the widespread algae bloom in the Mediterranean Sea, which continues to spread and could reach the northern coast near Haifa within the next two days. This bloom poses a significant threat to the desalination plant in Hadera. Despite expectations for a swift return to normal operations, most of Israel's desalination plants have been shut down for the fourth consecutive day, causing rising concern within the Water Authority.

Recordings from a closed-door meeting, revealed Wednesday evening, feature a senior Water Authority official admitting uncertainty about when the dense algae will dissipate. He warned of a potential long-term water shortage that would necessitate difficult decisions. "Shikmona 1, which is the largest contributor to the system, went offline around 3 AM, so we are currently operating with the equivalent of roughly one plant," stated Dani Laker, Director of the Emergency Department at the Water Authority, during the discussion. "This has been ongoing for over 12 hours. Whoever wears a kippah should pray hard that this sequence continues. We cannot understand what is happening with these algae; it's an unfamiliar bloom, not seen in Israel for at least 30 years. The expectation was that the algae would sink or flow away with the water."

Laker expressed hope for the bloom's disappearance but acknowledged a plausible scenario where the issue persists. "I hope this thing disappears from our lives, but there is a scenario that is not at all unreasonable that says we will be dragged along with this event for a period," he added. "There will be demand management for a long period. A sort of emergency configuration where decisions are made every few hours: regular supply alongside various disruptions."