Israel Assures Continued Water Supply Despite Marine Pollution Event

Israel's Ministry of Energy and Water Authority announced on Friday that water supply to both domestic and agricultural sectors remains uninterrupted, following an assessment of the recent marine pollution incident. The systems are currently functioning using a combination of desalination plants, water from the Sea of Galilee, and boreholes. Over the weekend, "Mekorot" (Israel's national water company) will work to replenish national reservoirs to ensure sufficient supply for the upcoming week, anticipating a drop in water consumption.

Regarding water quality, drinking water has been confirmed as safe for household use. The authorities also clarified that a controlled dispersal of permitted substances was carried out at sea, with approval from an inter-ministerial committee including representatives from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Health. Environmental monitoring is ongoing in the treated area, with results expected later.

As a precautionary measure, the Ministry of Health has prohibited fishing only at the specific treatment point until monitoring results are available. However, the ministry emphasized that public beaches are open and that fish sold in markets are safe for consumption. Teams from the Water Authority, Mekorot, and the Ministry of Energy are continuing to manage the situation and monitor supply continuity.

Earlier in the week, an unusual marine pollution event caused by a micro-algae bloom originating from Egypt's coast led to a near-complete shutdown of Israel's desalination facilities along the Mediterranean coast due to a sharp increase in seawater turbidity.