Israel’s Innovative Plan to Combat Drought by Pumping Desalinated Water into Sea of Galilee
Israel is taking a groundbreaking approach to address years of drought and falling water levels by pumping desalinated Mediterranean seawater into the Sea of Galilee. This ambitious project, considered the first of its kind in the world, aims to replenish the country’s main freshwater reservoir located in northeastern Israel between the Golan Heights and the Galilee.
The initiative comes as a response to a series of droughts that have pushed the lake dangerously close to the “black line,” a critical level at which water extraction could lead to irreversible ecological damage. To combat this threat, the Water Authority of Israel plans to redirect desalinated water from the Mediterranean coast into the Sea of Galilee.
The project is set to kick off in the coming weeks, with an initial pumping capacity of up to 5,000 cubic meters (1.3 million gallons) of water per hour. As additional infrastructure is completed, the plan is to expand this capacity to 15,000 cubic meters per hour by late October or early November.
The desalinated water will be sourced from plants in Ashdod, Hadera, and other coastal sites, traveling a distance of 62 to 93 miles to reach the Sea of Galilee. The extensive project involves upgrading pumping stations, constructing new pipelines, and reinforcing reservoirs at an estimated cost of around 1 billion shekels ($297 million).
Firas Talhami, head of the Water Authority’s northern region, emphasized the significance of this initiative, stating, “We dropped below the lower red line and came close to the black line. That’s when experts proposed reversing the National Water Carrier and channeling desalinated water into the lake. Ultimately, this became the chosen solution.”
Talhami further highlighted the ecological impact of the project, noting that it will help restore the Zalmon stream as a perennial waterway, rejuvenating plant and animal life in the region. This innovative approach is hailed as a historic event that has never been attempted elsewhere in the world.
By harnessing desalinated seawater to replenish the Sea of Galilee, Israel is pioneering a sustainable solution to combat drought and safeguard its vital freshwater resources for the future.
