The heat in Israel is extreme, water sources in the north are dwindling - and the Water Authority is making a clear statement: This is an especially severe drought.
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Hezi Lifshitz, head of the Authority, warns in a conversation with Ynet: "From the Authority's perspective, we are already in a drought year, and one that has not been seen in the last 100 years - and I say this based on precise and measured data. The water sources in the north are scarce and the Banias is almost dry. Ultimately, the one responsible for declaring a state of drought in terms of the economy and agriculture is the Ministry of Finance."
Lipshitz explains that "this winter broke all the charts. The Sea of Galilee didn't rise at all. This is unprecedented."
Israeli agriculture consumes about 1.2 billion cubic meters per year of all types of water, fresh, wastewater and saltwater: "The population is growing and the demand for water is increasing, but the amount of rainfall is not increasing at the same rate and is even decreasing," says Lifshitz.
This means there is an urgent need to increase alternative water sources. According to him, "the answer is to build more desalination plants."
Today, Israel has desalination plants in Hadera, Ashkelon, Ashdod, two in Sorek, and a plant in Palmachim on private land. But here's a new problem: Each desalination plant consumes about half a percent of the electricity consumption in the State of Israel. "That's a lot," explains Lipshitz.
"The desalination plant in the Western Galilee is expected to begin operations towards 2027, after a delay of years due to objections," he says.
Due to the severe drought, the Water Authority decided to increase the amount of water it purchases from desalination plants.
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