Desalination Crisis Deepens as Kinneret Pumping Quadruples
Israel's water crisis deepens as microalgae from the Nile Delta shut down desalination plants, prompting Mekorot to quadruple Sea of Galilee pumping.
Jerusalem, 3 September, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s water crisis entered its fourth day Thursday, with most Mediterranean desalination plants still shut down. The Ashdod and Ashkelon plants remain offline, while Hadera continued operating normally.
The shutdown was caused by unusually high levels of microalgae drifting from Egypt’s Nile Delta. The affected area stretches about 100 kilometers along the coast and 7 kilometers wide.
The Palmachim and Sorek B plants are operating at half capacity, producing about 9,000 cubic meters of desalinated water per hour instead of 18,000 cubic meters per hour.
National water company Mekorot has quadrupled pumping from the Sea of Galilee to more than 1 million cubic meters daily, despite water levels remaining below the red line.
Mekorot is also pumping from about 1,000 wells nationwide and has reopened dozens of older emergency wells with the Health Ministry’s approval.