Algae Bloom Disrupts Israeli Desalination Plants, Threatening Water Supply

Satellite images from Thursday morning show no improvement in the spread of algae in the Mediterranean Sea, with the bloom potentially expanding to northern coastlines as far as Haifa within the next two days. This poses a risk to the desalination facility 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, increasing pressure on the Water Authority.

Recordings from a closed Water Authority discussion revealed that Dani Laker, head of the emergency department, admitted uncertainty about when the dense algae will dissipate. He warned of a prolonged water shortage that could necessitate difficult decisions. "Sorek 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," Laker stated. "This has been happening for over 12 hours. The algae is unfamiliar; it hasn't been seen in Israel for at least 30 years. The expectation was that the algae would sink or flow away with the water."

Laker added, "I hope this will disappear from our lives, but there is a very plausible scenario where we will be dealing with this event for an extended period. There will be demand management for a long time, a kind of emergency configuration where decisions are made every few hours: regular supply alongside various disruptions." These remarks followed the shutdown of the crucial Sorek 1 desalination plant overnight due to a renewed rise in pollution levels in its vicinity.

Consequently, only the Sorek 2 and Palmahim plants are operating at partial capacity. Together, these two facilities represent only one full plant out of five. Earlier in the week, Energy Minister Eli Cohen ordered their partial reactivation despite exceeding pollution limits to prevent domestic water shortages. The state has committed to compensating private operators for any damage to the filtering membranes.