People try to use shower facilities at a beach in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sept. 1, 2026. Most beach showers here have been turned off due to water supply restrictions. Five of Israel's six desalination plants along the Mediterranean coast were shut down again on Tuesday, disrupting drinking water supplies and agricultural irrigation, according to government statements and local media reports. In Tel Aviv, authorities restricted water use for irrigation and beach showers, urging residents to conserve water. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)
JERUSALEM, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Five of Israel's six desalination plants along the Mediterranean coast were shut down again on Tuesday, disrupting drinking water supplies and agricultural irrigation, according to government statements and local media reports.
The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure said most plants were shut down again on Tuesday morning after re-operating overnight because extreme weather had increased seawater turbidity, making desalination difficult. It noted that such a phenomenon has not been seen in Israel in the last 20 years.
The desalination stations went offline on Saturday due to high turbidity caused by microalgae carried to Israel's southern coast by waves.
The Israel National Cyber Directorate said that the incident was not the result of a cyberattack targeting critical infrastructure, stressing that the malfunction was caused solely by unusual weather conditions affecting the region in recent days, which led to changes in the water's composition and quality
Local authorities were instructed to reduce water use for public gardens and irrigation in agriculture.
Several Jerusalem neighborhoods experienced prolonged water outages, while alternative supplies and public water taps were provided. In Tel Aviv, authorities restricted water use for irrigation and beach showers, urging residents to conserve water.
Israel's Farmers Federation called for urgent government action, warning that disruptions during the growing season could seriously damage vegetables and orchards nearing harvest, potentially affecting hundreds of farms.
Israel's Energy Minister Eli Cohen said Israel has sufficient water supplies and that authorities would ensure regular supplies to homes.
He added that efforts were also underway to increase pumping and drilling from the Sea of Galilee, a freshwater lake in northern Israel. ■
A woman tries to use a shower facility at a beach in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sept. 1, 2026. Most beach showers here have been turned off due to water supply restrictions.
Five of Israel's six desalination plants along the Mediterranean coast were shut down again on Tuesday, disrupting drinking water supplies and agricultural irrigation, according to government statements and local media reports. In Tel Aviv, authorities restricted water use for irrigation and beach showers, urging residents to conserve water. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)
