Israel's Five Desalination Plants Resume Operations After Algae Bloom

All five of Israel's major desalination plants, which were forced to shut down approximately ten days ago due to a significant algae bloom in the Mediterranean Sea, have now resumed operations, at least partially. The Hadera facility, which experienced the least impact, is functioning at full capacity, according to statements from the Ministry of Energy and the Water Authority on Wednesday. Officials have assured the public that both drinking water needs and agricultural demands are currently being met. However, they are still urging local authorities and citizens to continue conserving water, particularly for garden and green space irrigation.

The network remains more reliant than usual on groundwater, boreholes, and the Sea of Galilee to compensate for the reduced output from coastal facilities. The crisis began in late August when five of the country's six large desalination plants had to halt production due to high turbidity in seawater caused by microalgae, believed to have been transported to Israeli shores from the Nile Delta. A few days later, the Ashkelon and Ashdod plants were still completely offline, while Palmachim and Sorek were operating at reduced capacity.

The incident caused temporary disruptions in water supply, leading authorities to restrict certain public and agricultural water uses. Emergency reservoirs were deployed in Jerusalem, and Mekorot, the national water company, increased its reliance on boreholes and pumping from the Sea of Galilee. The event highlighted Israel's significant dependence on desalination, as these coastal plants normally supply about 80% of the country's drinking water.

Specialists have called for strengthening backup water sources by rehabilitating unused wells and better preserving natural reserves. Data from the Water Authority indicates that approximately 41% of the country's 1,702 boreholes were inactive as of early 2026. Meanwhile, the government plans to continue a massive expansion of desalination capacity, aiming to increase production to 2.3 billion cubic meters annually by 2050, up from the approximately 1.1 billion cubic meters planned for the near future.