Water Company to Move Desalination Intakes Deeper Offshore to Beat Algae
Mekorot plans to relocate desalination intakes deeper into the Mediterranean Sea to overcome disruptions caused by microalgal blooms and cloudiness.
Jerusalem, 7 September, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Following a water crisis that forced most of Israel’s Desalination Plants to shut down due to microalgal blooms and high cloudiness in the Mediterranean, the national water company, Mekorot, is planning to move the seawater intake pipes of desalination plants farther offshore.
This will prevent similar disruptions by drawing cleaner water from deeper layers farther from the coast.
The new intake pipes would be made of durable plastic and measure about 2 to 2.5 meters in diameter. Their length would depend on the width of the underwater continental shelf, which becomes narrower farther north along Israel’s coast.
The pipes would also feature multiple modular intake openings that could be opened or closed depending on pollution levels at different points.
Moving intakes farther offshore would increase the cost of desalinated water since raw seawater would have to be pumped over a greater distance to shore.