Decade-Old Warning Ignored on Gaza Sewage Threatening Israeli Desalination Plants

Israel's desalination plants are gradually returning to operation after a significant disruption, though many remain offline. A report from nearly a decade ago by the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute had warned of pollution from the Gaza Strip that could damage these facilities, which supply about 75% of Israel's drinking water. The recent crisis, while not identical to the report's predictions, highlights the mechanism it described: pollution from Gaza impacting the plants.

The Ministry of Energy stated that the water system is operating normally, with an additional plant, Sorek A, resuming operations. Water supply for households and agriculture has reportedly not been affected throughout the incident. However, the Water Authority confirmed that the Ashkelon and Ashdod desalination plants are still shut down, Sorek B and Palmahim are at partial capacity, and Sorek A is operating intermittently.

To address the water turbidity issue, the National Emergency Management Authority has deployed a tugboat for an experiment aimed at restarting the Ashkelon plant. This involves agitating the seawater near the intake pipe to facilitate flow resumption. The environmental organization EcoPeace Middle East had alerted the US command in Kiryat Gat in November 2025 about the need to treat sewage infrastructure in Gaza, but claims the Israeli government ignored the warning.

The organization Cleantech has appealed to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) to allow sewage tankers from Gaza to discharge waste at a treatment facility under IDF control, instead of releasing it into the sea. Cleantech stated that similar requests to the government, COGAT, and the US command have gone unanswered. They urged immediate action to prevent sewage discharge into the sea and to rehabilitate Gaza's damaged sewage system.

Research from 2017 indicated that raw sewage discharge from Gaza could harm water quality near Israeli desalination plants. The study examined water samples near the Ashkelon plant, located just 4.5 km from Gaza's sewage outfalls, finding measurable bacterial contamination. Satellite imagery documented plumes of organic material moving north from Gaza. Researchers predicted the problem would worsen with Gaza's growing population. Cleantech explained that sewage acts as a fertilizer for algae blooms, causing unusually intense growth, especially when combined with organic matter that allows growth even without sunlight. The recent increase in sewage flow is attributed to the partial restoration of water infrastructure in Gaza, leading to increased discharge into the sea.