Ashdod Upgrades Wastewater Facility to Prevent Future Beach Pollution

The Ashdod wastewater treatment plant, Matash Timorim, is set for a major upgrade following a court-approved mediation agreement extending until 2029. The facility will double its sewage treatment capacity and add two new reservoirs to prevent future environmental hazards. This agreement follows a class-action lawsuit filed by beachgoers and surfers who accused local authorities of negligence after sewage overflow polluted Ashdod's northern beaches.

The lawsuit targeted the regional council of Be'er Tuvia, the water corporation Tamar, and the Timorim settlement, with additional respondents including the water corporation Yuvalim Ashdod and the municipalities of Ashdod and Kiryat Malakhi. Plaintiffs claimed that poor management caused sewage to overflow from the facility into the nearby Ela and Lachish streams, ultimately contaminating the sea and forcing beach closures due to severe odor and health risks.

The water corporation Tamar, responsible for the plant since 2018, committed to investing in infrastructure to increase reservoir capacity to 30,000 cubic meters per day and operate two additional reservoirs with capacities of 10,000 and 40,000 cubic meters respectively. The Health Ministry had banned the use of treated wastewater from the plant for irrigation before 2018 due to poor water quality linked to mismanagement.

The pollution led to the closure of Ashdod's northern beaches and suspension of water sports activities, which had been popular among swimmers and surfers. Cleanup efforts reopened the beaches, but risks of recurring contamination remained. The upgrade aims to prevent such environmental damage and restore safe recreational use of the coastal area.