Israel improving wastewater management in expectation of population growth

Israel’s Government Authority for Water and Sewerage, in collaboration with other relevant government ministries, has been working for the past two years on preparing a long-term plan for the treatment of wastewater, led by a steering team, consisting of professionals from various fields.

Water management is crucial for Israel considering the expanding population in Israel which is expected to hit 16 million by 2050.

The work of the team was conducted on the basis of the vision of the sewage system, which guarantees the provision of sewage services of adequate quality, quantity and reliability and with economic efficiency, for the development of the country and the realization of its various national goals, so that all the effluents will be put to various uses without usage restrictions, mainly for agriculture, while preserving the environment and natural water sources and without discharge in the streams

One of the foundations of sustainable management of the water sector is long-term planning and the weighing of the various aspects in the required balance of decisions. The population of the State of Israel is growing at a rate of 1.8 per cent per year. In light of this, along with the development of desalinated water production and transmission infrastructures, there is a need to carry out a significant development of wastewater treatment facilities as well as prepare a national vision for the transfer of large amounts of effluents between regions, for the benefit of agricultural use. Along with planning, one must also prepare for investments in the scope of billions of shekels in the development of the sewage system. (ANI/TPS)