Water Supply to Southern Israels Agriculture Restored
Water supply to southern Israel's agriculture has been restored after desalination plants resumed operations, following an unusual algae bloom.
Jerusalem, 2 September, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Water Supplies to farmers in southern Israel were restored overnight, while household water supplies continue as normal, the Energy Ministry and Water Authority said Wednesday.
The supply was restored after some desalination plants resumed operations Tuesday evening. Water pumping from wells and the Sea of Galilee was also increased, and water reservoirs were refilled.
Israel’s desalination plants were shut down early Sunday after an unusual algae bloom caused murky cloudiness in the Mediterranean Sea. Monitoring systems at five southern plants, from Sorek to Ashkelon, detected a sharp rise in haziness, prompting the Health Ministry and Water Authority to order the plants to stop operating.
Water supplies to homes and farmers will continue, but local authorities have been asked to reduce water use for public landscaping.