Israel's Over-Reliance on Desalinated Water Creates Health Risks

Israel's heavy dependence on desalinated water, which provides 70-80% of the country's drinking water, has exposed vulnerabilities in its water system and created a long-standing health concern: the absence of essential minerals like iodine and magnesium. The desalination process filters out these minerals, and authorities have been slow to implement solutions for decades. This issue is compounded by Israel's high ranking, ninth globally, in water stress, meaning natural sources like the Sea of Galilee and groundwater are insufficient. Climate change is expected to further exacerbate this, with projections of a 4-degree Celsius temperature rise and a 25% decrease in annual rainfall by the end of the century.

While calcium is added back to prevent pipe damage, magnesium and iodine are not. Surveys from 2016 and 2021 revealed that 62% of schoolchildren and 85% of pregnant women had iodine levels below the World Health Organization's recommended minimum. Iodine deficiency can impair thyroid function and cognitive development, particularly critical for pregnant women and infants. In response, the Ministry of Health announced last month a plan to add iodine to table salt, though it requires Knesset approval and won't be implemented before a new government is formed.

The problem of magnesium deficiency is even less addressed. Before desalination, drinking water supplied 10-20% of Israel's magnesium intake. Studies link low magnesium levels to increased risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and ischemic stroke. While the technical solution of adding magnesium to drinking water is relatively simple, regulatory bodies have debated the costs. The Ministry of Health estimated an annual cost of NIS 37 million, offset by potential healthcare savings of NIS 83-188 million. The Water Authority, however, projects costs of NIS 400 million annually, with a 4% increase in water tariffs. A privately funded pilot project to add magnesium began last summer at Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael for its residents only.

Beyond mineral deficiencies, the article highlights other issues within Israel's water management. The State Comptroller warned in 2024 about insufficient oversight of desalination plant operators and the lack of a Ministry of Health survey on algal toxins, exacerbated by climate change. Inspections at desalination plants have been infrequent, with the Ministry of Health failing to conduct required annual audits between 2018 and 2023. Furthermore, natural water sources are neglected and contaminated. The coastal aquifer is drying up and becoming polluted, with 7% of its available water contaminated and 124 sites of groundwater pollution nationwide. Remediation efforts are slow, and the Water Authority rarely uses its authority to compel polluters to clean up. The presence of PFAS, or "forever chemicals," in groundwater is also a growing concern, with 18 wells closed due to contamination, though testing of production wells is only halfway complete, revealing PFAS in 10% of them.