Water Commissioner Meir Ben-Meir says that there will be no choice but to let the water level of the Sea of Galilee fall below the danger line, which is minus 213. "We may go a few centimeters below the present line, but I absolutely have no intention of letting a line lower than minus 214 get established as a permanent policy."
Ben-Meir made this statement to "Globes", after it became clear that the Sea of Galilee water level was about to fall to below minus 213, the level set by the Water Commission as "the line below which the water level must not be allowed to fall".
Ben-Meir said that there was no need to sow panic among the public. "There won’t be a drinking water shortage. Even if there’s another drought year, the public won’t be hurt, because the Water Law gives priority to drinking water."
He added that the Water Commission had drawn up three scenarios for the water industry next year:
- Average rainfall, which will require the continuation of the 40% cut in water for agriculture.
- A drought year, of the type whose incidence is once in a decade, which will require an additional 20% cut in water for agriculture.
- A drought year of the type whose incidence is once every 50 years, similar to last year’s. "Such an eventuality will be a catastrophe for Israel’s agricultural sector. It’s a nightmare scenario."
According to Ben-Meir, the Water Commission will complete drawing up an international water desalination tender in four days. "The desalination plant will produce 50 million cubic meters, and the State will commit itself to buying the water. Its construction, however, will take at least two years."
Agricultural Center head MK Shalom Simhon said, "No serious consideration is being given to water problems. If there is a sincere desire to do something about it, investments should be made without delay in the establishment of desalination plants and in the exploitation of all possible water resources, including sewage. Plans should be made for laying an undersea pipeline for carrying water from Turkey."
According to Simhon, "Under the 1999 Arrangements Law, NIS 800 million should be invested in sewage treatment projects in the next decade, yet so far the Ministry of Finance hasn’t budgeted as much a single dime."
Published by Israel's Business Arena September 28, 1999