The cornerstone of Israel\'s first desalination plant was placed in Ashkelon today, during a festive ceremony presided over by National Infrastructures Minister Avigdor Lieberman. The installation is slated to produce 50 million cubic meters of water annually within 2-3 years, or the equivalent of 30 centimeters of height in Israel\'s main reservoir, the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). The Kinneret falls roughly a centimeter a day during the summer, and rises about that much, or more, each day during the winter. The Ashkelon plant will also provide 1,000 jobs. Minister Lieberman said that within 5-6 years, Israel is expected to produce some 500 million cubic meters of water annually.
The Kinneret was reported to have risen two centimeters in the past 24 hours, due to the heavy rains in the north. It is now 214.19 meters below sea level, or 1.19 meters below what was once considered the red-line minimum.
The Kinneret was reported to have risen two centimeters in the past 24 hours, due to the heavy rains in the north. It is now 214.19 meters below sea level, or 1.19 meters below what was once considered the red-line minimum.