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Microalgae bloom knocks out most of Israel’s desalination plants
CNN • • world
Key Points:
- A massive microalgae bloom in the Mediterranean Sea caused five of Israel’s six coastal desalination plants to shut down temporarily, threatening the country's primary drinking water source.
- The bloom, stretching over a dozen miles and likely originating from the Nile Delta, clogged desalination membranes, which use reverse osmosis technology, impairing their ability to produce potable water.
- Israel's national water company, Mekorot, mitigated the crisis by supplementing supply from the Sea of Galilee, groundwater wells, and reserves, while some local water restrictions were imposed, mainly affecting agricultural irrigation.
- Experts warn that such events may become more frequent due to climate change, with rising sea temperatures and pollution fostering larger and more frequent algae blooms, posing ongoing risks to desalination infrastructure.
- The incident highlights vulnerabilities in reliance on desalination, which faces threats not only from natural phenomena like algae blooms and oil spills but also from potential military and cyberattacks on critical water infrastructure.
