Following Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel’s civilian infrastructure by its attempt to hack into Israel’s water system to raise the chlorine to dangerous levels, the National Cyber Directorate took responsibility for protecting Israel’s water system, Channel 12 News reported on Monday.

The report added an intriguing detail about the protection of Israel’s water system – the “employment” of dozens of fish in ensuring the safety of Israel’s water supply.

Twelve aquariums filled with drinking water at the Eshkol water purification site in Be’er Sheva each house several fish who happily swim around as fish do. The fish are closely monitored 24/7 to ensure they stay happy and healthy. Even the slightest signs of changes in their behavior are regarded as “fishy” by those responsible for the safety of Israel’s drinking water.

“The little fish respond quickly to changes in the water and the larger fish respond over time to long-term effects in the water quality,” Ortal Shlafman, a water quality engineer told Channel 12. “The control room constantly monitors them – are they swimming faster or slower?”

The fish were already “swimming guard” over Israel’s water supply even before the Iranian hacking attempt but are now regarded as even more critical to the safety of Israel’s water supply, the report said.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)