The Water Authority has removed subsidies on the cost of water for gardening in a move to encourage water conservation and limit the water shortage crisis facing Israel. The fee schedule charges private users a lower fee for the first eight cubic meters of water it uses and a slightly higher rate for an additional seven cubic meters and an even higher fee for usage beyond that amount, including a heavy subsidy for watering gardens.
Elimination of the subsidy effectively raises the cost of watering gardens to 7.75 shekels ($2.16) a cubic meter, a 90 percent increase over current rates.