National Infrastructures Minister Uzi Landau was at the sixth annual WaTec (Water Technology) Exhibition and Conference on Wednesday, and told Arutz Sheva why the conference is so significant to Israel.
“First of all it’s important because it brings in thousands of people,” Landau said, adding that the conference is attracting ministers and delegations from all over the world, as well as leading experts from all the various facets of water technology in the world.
“It is definitely placing Israel as a leading country when it comes to water technology,” he said. “Our experience touches on a variety of issues, starting from the desalination of water, treatment of water, treatment of sewage and the re-use of sewage for agriculture.”
Israel is also an expert on advanced methods of monitoring water quality and on protecting water from terrorism, Landau said. “Whatever you put your finger on, you see what and how much can be done in order to preserve water and develop new quantities of water. There are a myriad of problems and issues, all of which are treated here at the highest levels by leading experts.”
He noted that Israel is experiencing a shortage of water, largely because of the sharp rise in the population, and detailed what it is doing to produce more water.
“First of all, we are desalinating water and producing fresh water in large proportions – about 300 million cubic meters a year are desalinated from the Mediterranean,” he said. “Within three years we’re going to double that amount. I don’t know of any other place in the world where these things are done in such proportions.”
“We are treating waste water,” added Landau. “90 percent of our sewage is treated and over 75 percent is moved back for re-use in agriculture. Much effort is put in to minimize leakages in our system. There is so much that can be done in this field.”