The winter rains appear to have ended - there is only a small chance of precipitation over the next ten days - and Israel's water experts are engaged in summing up the windfall of the past four months.
The Kinneret, Israel's largest reservoir and benchmark for its water supply, began the rainy season at a dangerously low 214.42 meters below sea level - almost 1.5 meters lower than the "red line" level the government had previously deemed as endangering the water table.
Record rainfall levels throughout the country, however, have already restored a full 4.28 meters to the Kinneret, and it currently stands at 210.14 meters below sea level, or 4.28 meters higher than it was. Each meter represents 170 million cubic meters of water - and this does not include the approximately 30 million cubic meters that have been drawn from the Kinneret to Israel's two other main aquifers over the past month.
Water continues to be drawn from the Kinneret at the rate of approximately a million cubic meters a day - and not for no reason. Uri Shorr, spokesman for Israel's Water Commission, explains why we must not be complacent about the water situation:
"Let us recall that only 11 years ago, Israel's water supply was near-perfect. The Kinneret was totally full, and the two aquifers - that of the coast and the mountain range - were also in excellent condition. Yet a few dry years brought us to where we were only last year. Today, we are not in as good shape as we were in 1992. The Kinneret is not full, and the aquifers are in poor condition. We must therefore continue to conserve water."
The Jewish National Fund reports that the twin dangers facing Israel's water supply - drought and over-consumption - have greatly exacerbated each other over the past decade. "Israel's water resources yield 449 billion gallons each year," a recent JNF report states, "but population growth and a general increase in the standard of living have boosted annual consumption to 580 billion gallons. With an annual deficit of 131 billion gallons of water, Israel is over-consuming its water resources by 25%."
Sixty percent of Israel's fresh water goes to the agricultural sector, down from 72 percent. This saving of water has also put many farmers out of business, however, and dropping agricultural consumption even further would mean, among a host of other consequences, the inability to sustain communities in the Negev, Aravah and Galilee, and thus the loss of Israel's future land reserves.
Another partial solution is the agreement signed last year with Turkey, wherein Turkey will ship 13.2 billion gallons of water to Israel annually - 3% of Israel's water supply - beginning in 2004. While this agreement was politically important for Israel in developing a relationship with a Moslem country, it is not an economically advantageous arrangement for Israel. Israel will pay Turkey approximately three times what it would cost for the same amount of recycled water, and about twice that of desalinated water. At best, reports the JNF, this agreement will replace the 13.2 billion gallons of water that Israel supplies to Jordan as part of the two countries' 1994 peace agreement.
Israel's long-term efforts for supplying its water over the next 40 years are concentrated on recycling and desalinization. The JNF is of the opinion that recycled water is the preferred choice, as it is cheaper than desalinizing and can be used for desalinized water as well. The more than 150 new JNF reservoirs and dams proved their worth this past year, as the reservoirs filled with water that would otherwise have been lost. More such reservoirs are planned for the future.
The Kinneret, Israel's largest reservoir and benchmark for its water supply, began the rainy season at a dangerously low 214.42 meters below sea level - almost 1.5 meters lower than the "red line" level the government had previously deemed as endangering the water table.
Water continues to be drawn from the Kinneret at the rate of approximately a million cubic meters a day - and not for no reason. Uri Shorr, spokesman for Israel's Water Commission, explains why we must not be complacent about the water situation:
"Let us recall that only 11 years ago, Israel's water supply was near-perfect. The Kinneret was totally full, and the two aquifers - that of the coast and the mountain range - were also in excellent condition. Yet a few dry years brought us to where we were only last year. Today, we are not in as good shape as we were in 1992. The Kinneret is not full, and the aquifers are in poor condition. We must therefore continue to conserve water."
The Jewish National Fund reports that the twin dangers facing Israel's water supply - drought and over-consumption - have greatly exacerbated each other over the past decade. "Israel's water resources yield 449 billion gallons each year," a recent JNF report states, "but population growth and a general increase in the standard of living have boosted annual consumption to 580 billion gallons. With an annual deficit of 131 billion gallons of water, Israel is over-consuming its water resources by 25%."
Sixty percent of Israel's fresh water goes to the agricultural sector, down from 72 percent. This saving of water has also put many farmers out of business, however, and dropping agricultural consumption even further would mean, among a host of other consequences, the inability to sustain communities in the Negev, Aravah and Galilee, and thus the loss of Israel's future land reserves.
Another partial solution is the agreement signed last year with Turkey, wherein Turkey will ship 13.2 billion gallons of water to Israel annually - 3% of Israel's water supply - beginning in 2004. While this agreement was politically important for Israel in developing a relationship with a Moslem country, it is not an economically advantageous arrangement for Israel. Israel will pay Turkey approximately three times what it would cost for the same amount of recycled water, and about twice that of desalinated water. At best, reports the JNF, this agreement will replace the 13.2 billion gallons of water that Israel supplies to Jordan as part of the two countries' 1994 peace agreement.
Israel's long-term efforts for supplying its water over the next 40 years are concentrated on recycling and desalinization. The JNF is of the opinion that recycled water is the preferred choice, as it is cheaper than desalinizing and can be used for desalinized water as well. The more than 150 new JNF reservoirs and dams proved their worth this past year, as the reservoirs filled with water that would otherwise have been lost. More such reservoirs are planned for the future.