In response to last week's unprecedented shutdown of most of Israel's desalination plants, experts are urging the government to develop a new masterplan that reduces reliance on coastal desalination and revives natural water sources, according to The Times of Israel. The shutdown, caused by rare sea turbidity, highlighted that 80% of drinking water comes from coastal facilities vulnerable to natural disruptions.
A new analysis published by The Times of Israel calls for a comprehensive national water masterplan after last week's unprecedented shutdown of five of six desalination plants — the first such mass failure in two decades. Experts quoted in the report criticize what they describe as complacency and overreliance on coastal desalination, which supplies roughly 80% of the country's drinking water. They urge the government to revive natural water sources such as groundwater wells, reservoirs, and aquifers, and to expand conservation efforts to reduce vulnerability to natural disruptions.
The Zioneer has been tracking the crisis since its emergence. On Monday at 13:45 Jerusalem, the National Cyber Directorate ruled out a cyberattack, and the Water Authority confirmed an exceptional biological event caused the shutdown. Hours later, an Israeli ministry warned of an impending agriculture crisis. On Tuesday evening, five plants were shut down again due to renewed turbidity. On Wednesday, Energy Minister Eli Cohen attributed the phenomenon to rare natural causes and assured that household water supply was maintained through wells and the Sea of Galilee. The Sorek A desalination plant resumed operations Monday evening, as The Zioneer reported.
The incident has exposed the strategic fragility of a system heavily dependent on a handful of coastal facilities. As The Zioneer reported on June 8, the government had unveiled a 50-year plan to massively expand desalination capacity. Yet the crisis echoes broader regional concerns — as The Zioneer noted on July 17, similar vulnerability of Gulf desalination plants was highlighted after Iranian strikes on Kuwait.
No official response to the call for a new masterplan has been issued. It remains to be seen whether the government will reassess its long-term water strategy in light of the recent disruption.
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