Nile Algae Bloom Shuts Down Most Israeli Desalination Plants

Most of Israel's desalination plants have been shut down in recent days due to a bloom of micro-algae originating from the Nile Delta, with only the Hadera plant continuing full operations. Plants in Ashkelon, Ashdod, Palmahim, and Sorek A&B were affected, though Sorek A&B partially resumed work overnight. Initial investigations by the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research institute point to the algae bloom as the likely cause of the widespread shutdown.

As a result of the disruptions, public water supply guidelines remain unchanged for most of the population, with the exception of a halt to watering public gardens in the southern region. This follows a previous incident yesterday where unusual weather caused a malfunction in desalination facilities south of Hadera, leading to warnings of potential water supply disruptions nationwide. Residents in the Shfela, South, and Givatayim areas were advised to prepare for possible water outages.

Residents of Carmei Yosef received a notice stating, "Due to a national water supply malfunction, a water outage is expected in the locality. Please prepare accordingly and stock up on water in advance." A similar message was issued in Givatayim, warning of potential disruptions, pressure drops, and outages due to national network issues, urging the public to conserve water for essential needs until normal service resumes.

The Water Authority confirmed that extreme weather conditions had impacted seawater quality, leading to the temporary suspension of some desalination facilities. The shutdown has also necessitated a reduction in the supply of fresh water for agriculture in the southern region.