By Pesach Benson • August 31, 2026
Jerusalem, 31 August, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Several of Israel’s major Desalination Plants have been temporarily shut down after heavy rain caused high levels of sediment in seawater, disrupting their filtration systems, the Water Authority said Monday.
The shutdowns, which began Saturday, have reduced freshwater supplies for agriculture in southern Israel. The Ramat Negev Regional Council has halted freshwater deliveries to farms entirely.
Only the Hadera and Eilat desalination plants remained operational among Israel’s major facilities, while 20 smaller facilities operated by national water company Mekorot continued producing water. Hadera produces about 120 million to 130 million cubic meters of water annually.
High concentrations of mud and other suspended material in seawater can clog desalination membranes, forcing plants to shut down until the water clears. Because the plants draw seawater from different locations and depths, they may resume operations at different times.
The Ashkelon and Ashdod plants stopped operating Saturday, followed by the Sorek and Palmachim facilities on Sunday. The plants currently offline have a combined annual production capacity of about 750 million cubic meters, leaving roughly 15% to 17% of Israel’s normal desalination capacity available.
“There is hope that Sorek B will begin operating soon because the samples from there look good,” Water Authority Director-General Yehezkel Lifshitz said.
Sorek B is a separate desalination plant from the Sorek facility that stopped operating Sunday.
The Water Authority said the national water system remains under control, with Mekorot increasing production from other available sources.
“According to current estimates, some of the desalination facilities will resume operations soon,” the authority said. “Professional teams are closely monitoring water quality and are prepared for every scenario.”
Southern Israel is most affected because its water network has less capacity to receive supplies from other parts of the country. Authorities are prioritizing household drinking water while increasing pumping from the Sea of Galilee and groundwater wells.
Farmers who rely on treated wastewater are largely unaffected.
