A mysterious natural contamination event has twice disrupted Israel’s desalination plants in a single day, raising concerns about a potential threat to one of the country’s most critical sources of drinking water.
Prof. Ido Bar-Zeev, a water desalination expert at Ben-Gurion University’s Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, told Arutz Sheva - Israel National News that experts are working to identify the substance responsible for clogging the desalination facilities and determine how to prevent further disruptions.
"Everyone understands, especially now, just how important water desalination is," Bar-Zeev said.
He noted that approximately 70% of the water supplied to Israeli homes comes from the Mediterranean Sea through desalination plants, where it undergoes purification and desalination before being delivered to consumers.
According to Bar-Zeev, the current disruption appears to have been caused by an unidentified natural contaminant, apparently organic matter such as microalgae or algae, that was drawn into the desalination facilities and clogged them.
The contamination has caught experts by surprise.
"It is a contamination event that has surprised the experts and professionals," Bar-Zeev said. "They are now investigating it, trying to understand its composition and find a solution."
Current assessments indicate that the contamination may be widespread, apparently arriving from the south, from the direction of Gaza and Egypt, and affecting large stretches of Israel’s coastline.
"It is unclear what caused it, but it is present along a significant portion of our coastline," he said.
Could the contamination become so severe that Israel is left without functioning desalination plants?
Bar-Zeev said he does not believe that scenario is likely and expressed confidence that a solution will be found soon.
"Our desalination plants are the crown jewel of Israeli innovation, and everyone’s assessment is that this will be resolved in the near future," he said.
At the same time, he warned that the incident should serve as a wake-up call.
"It raises a red flag for everyone, because it sets a precedent for a situation in which a major oil spill could shut down the facilities," he said.
Bar-Zeev recalled the relatively small oil spill that affected Israel’s coastline about four years ago, warning that a significantly larger spill could have serious consequences for the desalination infrastructure on which Israel’s water supply depends.
He was also asked whether Israel could turn to international experts for information about similar contamination events in other countries.
Bar-Zeev noted that Israel is considered a global leader in desalination technology, and that experts from around the world routinely turn to Israel for advice on dealing with problems in the field.
"We are brainstorming together and separately with the desalination plants," he said. "The issue will be resolved, and I’m not worried-but it is a strange event."
"I’ve been in this field for 20 years, and I don’t remember an event this widespread-something that spreads across tens or even hundreds of kilometers."