After a number of years with less than average rainfall, actually drought years, Israel Water Authority officials are now planning water sanctions in a conservation measure, warning if chas v’sholom this winter is also not blessed with an abundance of rainfall, the country will begin literally drying up, and strict conservation measures will be implemented.

The head of the Water Authority, Prof. Uri Shani, told Galei Tzahal on Monday that the current situation is indeed very serious and it can result in major conservation measures. At present however, he does not see water outages in homes, but steps will be taken to halt water usage for private gardening. “We have reached black lines and we are hoping this winter will be an abundant one. We are also moving ahead as quickly as possible regarding water purifying plants”.

Israeli agriculture is not the largest water consumer states Shani, explaining “home usage”, which includes offices and government buildings amounts to 800 million cubes annually. Farmers on the other hand use 450 million cubes annually.

Shani stated what may indeed occur is an order prohibiting anyone from watering lawns, adding the accumulative private lawns are significantly larger than public and state-owned lawns.

When asked how we permitted this to occur and why purification and desalination plants are lagging behind, Shani stated plants are operating in a number of places including Ashdod and others are planned for Sorek and Chadera. A total of five plants will deliver about 600 million cubes of water annually. The plants should be operational by 2012.

2007 was the “straw that broke the camel’s back” explained Shani, with no rain following February. He warned another year like 2007 will result in a water state-of-emergency.

(Yechiel Spira- YWN Israel)