Spokesman Office 22 January 2009
In 2012, most drinking water of Israeli residents will be desalinated water
Mekorot National Water Company has begun construction of a new National Water System. Mekorot will invest more than NIS 2 billion in the establishment of this national project, the largest and most extensive project since the building of the National Water Carrier in the 1960s.
Upon completion, this project will change the direction of the water flow. Instead of the current direction from the Kinneret in the north to the southern part of the country, most of the nation’s drinking water will flow from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the east and south of the country. This means that, beginning in 2012, most Israeli residents will drink desalinated seawater.
Mekorot CEO Ido Rosolio: “This is a real revolution. The current National Water Carrier cannot meet the water needs of Israel’s citizens. Mekorot has the task of solving the water crisis through the construction of the new national system. We will not spare resources to ensure that the country’s residents will enjoy top-quality water in the decades to come.”
The current National Water Carrier, which was completed in 1964, is Israel’s primary water artery. The 130-kilometer carrier functions as a regulator of the country’s water supply, enabling the transport of water from sources in the north to the center and south of the country. The Kinneret is the starting point and primary reservoir of the National Water Carrier. From the Kinneret, water is pumped via the Sapir Site to the Zalmon Station and the Ilabon Tunnel, which is the highest level of the National Water Carrier). The water is then carried to the Eshkol Site at Beit Netofa Valley, and is sent via three tunnels through the Samaria Hills and Ramat Menashe, where it continues to Rosh Ha’Ayin and then to the south via pipelines.
The new National System Project: The current National Water Carrier is not capable of supplying the water needs of Israel’s citizens. The growth in population and the increase in water consumption by households, as well as the recent years of droughts have diminished the water sources in the north. For this reason, as well as the severe crisis in the water economy, Mekorot National Water Company will invest more than NIS 2 billion over the coming years in the new National Water System project.
The core of the project: Changing the route of the primary water arteries from west to east instead of north to south. The new water arteries will connect the five desalination facilities along the Mediterranean coastline, which are scheduled to begin operation by 2012. The direction of the water flow in the New National System will be handled by sophisticated pumps, in contrast to the National Water Carrier, which uses gravitation from the Eshkol Reservoir to carry water to Rosh Ha’Ayin.
The project will include the construction of huge 100-kilometer water channels, which will be operated by some of the world’s most advanced quality control and command systems from sophisticated control rooms. Huge water reservoirs are planned to be built at Ashdod, two at Soreq, Hadera, and Hefetz Haim, as well as three pools at Kfar Uriya and Kisalon. The water reservoirs and pools will be covered with sheeting, which will guarantee high water quality over long periods of time.
When completed, most drinking water supplied to Israel’s residents from Hadera southwards – in other words, most of the country’s population – will come from the new seawater desalination facilities along the Mediterranean coast in the west.
For further information: Hila Izhak, Mekorot Spokeswoman, 03-6230705, beeper - 53552