Desalination plant shutdown raises concerns for Israeli agriculture ahead of holidays
High seawater turbidity forced most Israeli desalination plants to close, prompting government measures to protect household water supply and mitigate damage to farms, especially in the south.
Most of Israel's seawater desalination facilities were forced to shut down again on Tuesday after a rise in turbidity, raising fears of crop loss and disruptions to food production in the southern regions. The Water Authority said household water deliveries continue, while the Energy and Infrastructure Ministry is increasing well and Sea of Galilee pumping and has approved the activation of two additional plants to maintain drinking water supplies.
"We are working to increase the rate of pumping from wells and the Sea of Galilee, and we have also approved the activation of two additional desalination facilities in order to ensure water supplies," Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen said. The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, led by Director-General Oren Lavi, is mapping affected farms and coordinating with the Water Authority and Mekorot to restore irrigation. Lavi warned that prolonged water cuts could cause irreversible damage to seedlings, greenhouse crops and other sensitive produce. "For farmers, water is not a resource whose use can be postponed to another time. In some crops, particularly young seedlings, greenhouses, and sensitive crops, prolonged irrigation stoppages can cause irreversible damage quickly," Lavi said. The Israel Farmers Federation and the Moshavim movement have appealed to finance, agriculture and infrastructure ministers for immediate action and compensation, citing threats to hundreds of family farms and the national food supply. Regional council head Eran Doron warned that up to 20,000 dunams of vegetable crops in the Nitzana area could be at risk, potentially affecting two million tons of produce. The state comptroller's recent reports highlighted past incidents of desalination shutdowns caused by microbial contamination, fuel spills and turbidity, and recommended regular monitoring for algal toxins and improved oversight. The Water Authority also dispatched tankers to villages where burst pipes had cut off supply.