Most of Israel’s desalination facilities were shut down on Tuesday morning after operating overnight, following another increase in seawater turbidity, according to the Water Authority and the Energy and Infrastructure Ministry. The renewed shutdowns mark the second time the majority of the country’s desalination plants have gone offline within a 24-hour period, as unusual weather conditions continue to disrupt the national water network.
Five Out of Six Plants Halting Operations
The operational crisis began on Monday afternoon when five of Israel’s six desalination facilities ceased functioning. Severe seawater turbidity began over the weekend, moving from south to north and preventing the facilities from filtering water and operating normally, according to Water Authority Director-General Yehezkel Lifshitz.
Additional reporting from IsraelNationalNews.com notes that the initial wave of shutdowns affected facilities located south of Hadera due to unusual weather conditions that altered the composition and quality of the water.
Cyber Directorate Dismisses Security Threat Rumors
Amid rumors circulating on social media, the Israel National Cyber Directorate clarified that the incident was not caused by a cyberattack targeting critical infrastructure. Officials stressed that the malfunction stemmed solely from regional weather conditions.
Municipal Mandates and Public Landscape Cuts
Despite the widespread facility closures, officials stated that regular water supplies to homes and households would continue as usual.
Under instructions issued for the national water system, local authorities must immediately reduce water use for public landscaping, park irrigation, and agricultural activities, while working to cut other public water consumption. Where specific issues arise, the scope of activity is reduced while operations centers provide a focused response, according to the Water Authority.
Warnings Issued Across Central Israel and Jerusalem
The impact of the widespread malfunction reached central Israel on Monday, prompting warnings for residents in areas such as Givatayim, Rishon Lezion, the Coastal Plain, and Jerusalem to prepare for possible temporary disruptions.
A message sent to residents in Givatayim warned that water supply disruptions could occur in the coming hours, including reduced water pressure and outages in certain areas. The notice instructed the public: “Following problems with the water supply in the national water network, disruptions to water supply may occur in the coming hours, including reduced pressure and water outages in certain areas. We ask the public to conserve water as much as possible and use water only for essential needs until normal operations resume.”
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