Israel Faces Severe Water Shortages Amid Desalination Plant Failures

Israel is grappling with a deepening water crisis, primarily due to significant disruptions at its desalination plants. The issue stems from a massive bloom of microscopic algae along the coast, which has forced the shutdown of multiple facilities. The situation is exacerbated by a lack of clear information and conflicting statements from authorities. Initially, officials announced the restart of one plant, then all five, only for them to halt operations again within days. As of Thursday, three plants remained offline, and two others were operating at half capacity, with concerns also raised about the Hadera plant.

In response to the shortages, the national water company Mekorot has quadrupled its water intake from the Sea of Galilee, whose water level has dropped below the "red line" and is approaching a critical "black line." Experts are critical of the Water Authority for failing to release crucial data, including real-time pollution levels, acceptable thresholds for desalination, and laboratory results concerning the algae bloom's source and composition.

The prolonged shutdown of five of the six desalination plants, now in its fifth day, is intensifying the water scarcity. While a potential link to the ongoing conflict in Gaza is being investigated by specialists, it remains a hypothesis. Scientists have noted the unprecedented scale of the algal bloom, with potential causes including climate change, pollution from Gaza, or a combination of factors, yet the exact reasons are still undetermined.

This crisis has led to calls for over a million Israelis to reduce water consumption following the severe disruption to the national desalination system, which supplies the country with fresh water.