Water restrictions imposed across Israel after five desalination plants shut down

Israel’s water network faced an unusual disruption on Monday after five of the country’s six desalination facilities stopped operating. Residents in Givatayim were warned that reduced pressure and outages could follow in some areas.

A message to residents urged them to use water only for essential needs until normal operations resumed. The disruption had initially affected southern Israel and agriculture, but its impact later reached central parts of the country.

Water Authority Director-General Yehezkel Lifshitz said severe seawater turbidity had moved from south to north since the weekend. The murky water prevented desalination facilities from filtering seawater and operating normally.

The Water Authority attributed the problem mainly to stormy conditions in the eastern Mediterranean. An initial assessment also pointed to a possible buildup of algae drifting from the Nile region. A vessel was sent offshore to collect samples and examine the material causing the turbidity.

Farmers in the Eshkol Regional Council were asked to reduce freshwater use for agriculture and gardening. The Ramat Negev Regional Council temporarily halted agricultural water supplies and cut irrigation in gardens and public areas. Gezer Regional Council also instructed residents to stop watering private gardens.

Mekorot, Israel’s national water company, was told to increase available production and drilling resources across the network. The Water Authority said some desalination plants could resume operations as sediment settled and seawater clarity improved.

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Following problems with the water supply in the national water network, disruptions to water supply may occur in the coming hours, including reduced pressure and water outages in certain areas. We ask the public to conserve water as much as possible and use water only for essential needs until normal operations resume.