Water supply and sanitation in Israel

This article is about water supply and sanitation in Israel. For the Palestinian territories, see water supply and sanitation in the Palestinian territories. For the Golan Heights, see Golan Heights.
Israel: Water and Sanitation
The flag of Israel
Data
Access to an improved water source 100% (2015)[1]
Access to improved sanitation 100% (2015)[1]
Continuity of supply (%) Very high
Average urban water use (liter/capita/day) 137[2]
Average urban domestic water and sewer bill for 20m3 249.60 NIS (Dec. 2010)
Share of household metering Very high
Non-revenue water n/a
Share of collected wastewater treated over 90%[3]
Annual investment in water supply and sanitation n/a
Sources of financing Bond issues and subsidies (Mekorot), government grants, soft loans and self-financing from revenues (municipalities), equity and commercial loans (desalination plants)
Institutions
Decentralization to municipalities Yes (for water distribution and sanitation)
National water and sanitation company Mekorot (Bulk water supplier)
Water and sanitation regulator Governmental Authority of Water and Sewerage
Responsibility for policy setting Minister of Energy and Water Resources
Sector law Water Law 1959, amended most recently in 2006
Number of service providers 1 Bulk water supplier
76 cities
144 local councils
53 regional councils

Water supply and sanitation in Israel are intricately linked to the historical development of Israel. Because rain falls only in the winter, and largely in the northern part of the country, irrigation and water engineering are considered vital to the country's economic survival and growth. Large scale projects to desalinate seawater, direct water from rivers and reservoirs in the north, make optimal use of groundwater, and reclaim flood overflow and sewage have been undertaken. Among them is the National Water Carrier, carrying water from the country's biggest freshwater lake, the Sea of Galilee, to the northern part of the Negev desert through channels, pipes and tunnels.[4] Israel's water demand today outstrips available conventional water resources. Thus, in an average year, Israel relies for about half of its water supply on unconventional water resources, including reclaimed water and desalination. A particularly long drought in 1998–2002 had prompted the government to promote large-scale seawater desalination. In 2022, 85% of the country's drinkable water was produced through desalination of saltwater and brackish water.[5][6]

  1. ^ a b WHO/UNICEF (2015) Progress on sanitation and drinking water - 2015 update and MDG assessment Archived 2014-04-18 at the Wayback Machine, Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation
  2. ^ "צריכת מים שפירים בתאגידי מים, רשויות מקומיות, ישובים קהילתיים, קיבוצים ומושבים (2013)". Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  3. ^ "Water Context 12/12". Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  4. ^ Sachar, Howard M., "A history of Israel: from the rise of Zionism to our time", Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 3rd ed., (2007), pp. 518-520 ISBN 978-0-375-71132-9
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference eib.org was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "In Israel, it's all about water". 4 February 2020. Retrieved 2022-08-29.