"There is no doubt that the Kinneret will fall below the red line by July," Water Authority Council director general Prof. Uri Shani told the Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee yesterday. He also predicted that 2009 would also be a drought year. "This will be a severe blow to agriculture," added.
Shani said that the Water Authority would consider raising water rates for non-essential use. "Water consumption surged last year despite the crisis. Major savings can be achieved in the watering of private gardens and municipal parks, which consumes 140 million cubic meters of water a year," he said.
Shani added that the current water deficit in the Yarkon and Taninim river basins was "unprecedented".
Minister of National Infrastructures Benjamin Ben-Eliezer told the Internal Affairs and Environment Committee that the ministry was expanding the network of desalination facilities. New facilities are under construction in Hadera, Ashdod, and Nahal Soreq, each of which will have a production capacity of 100 million cubic meters of water a year. He added that the output by the Ashkelon and Palmachim desalination facilities, which are already in operation, would be increased and a public awareness campaign for the need to save water would soon be launched.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 19, 2008
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