1.1.1.WATER RESOURCES The only river in Israel is the Jordan. The main sources of fresh water in Israel include: -Lake Kinneret or Lake Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee), which divides the upper and lower portions of the Jordan River system. It is the only natural freshwater lake in Israel. It has traditionally provided about a third of the country’s domestic, agricultural and industrial water requirements. Lake Tiberias’ catchment area is 2,730km2 and the surface area of the lake is 165km2 with an estimated storage volume of 710 million m3. Lake Tiberias is the lowest freshwater lake in the world. The total average annual inflow of water into Lake Tiberias amounts to 1km3, of which around 250 million m3 serve consumers in the region, about 450 million m3 are withdrawn from the lake to serve consumers throughout the country by means of the National Water Carrier and about 300 million m3 are lost by evaporation. The water level has been traditionally regulated between 209m and 213m below sea level. -The Coastal Aquifer is a sandstone aquifer which extends along 120 kilometres of the Mediterranean coastline. It is naturally recharged by precipitation and artificially recharged by water from the National Water Carrier, effluents and excess irrigation water percolating from agricultural, industrial and domestic land uses as well as from streams and wadis. The aquifer is also a valuable storage basin since sandstone layers hold water efficiently. It has a mean annual recharge of 250 million m3 in addition to 50 million m3 of agricultural drainage water. -The Mountain Aquifer (Yarkon-Taninim) is a limestone aquifer which underlies the foothills in the centre of the country. The basin is comprised of three subaquifers: the Western Basin, known as the Yarkon Taninim Aquifer, flows north and westward and discharges in the Taninim Springs on the Mediterranean coast while the Northeastern and Eastern Basins discharge in the Beit Shean Springs and the Jordan Rift Valley and Dead Sea. The Yarkon Taninim Aquifer is regenerated by precipitation with an average of annual renewable recharges of about 350 million m3. -Relatively smaller aquifers are located in Western Galilee, Eastern Galilee, the Jordan Rift, and the Arava Valley. Total internal renewable water resources are estimated at 750 million m3/year. About 250 million m3 is surface water, 500 million m3 groundwater and the overlap between surface water and groundwater is considered to be negligible. Surface water entering the country is estimated at 305 million m3/year, of which 160 million m3 are from Lebanon (including 138 million m3 from Hasbani), 125 million m3 from the Syrian Arab Republic, and 20 million m3 from the West Bank. Groundwater entering the country is estimated at 725 million m3/year, of which 325 million m3 are from the West Bank, 250 million m3 from the Syrian Arab Republic (Dan Springs) and 150 million m3 from Lebanon (Lake Hulah). The total renewable water resources are thus 1,780 million m3/year, of which 92 per cent is considered to be exploitable. About 25 million m3/year of groundwater flow from the country to the Gaza Strip. Mekorot, Israel’s national water supply company, has built and operated small- and medium-size desalination facilities in the southern part of the country since the 1960s. Eilat at the southern tip of the country by the Red Sea was the first city to use desalination. Some 29 small plants generate 25 million m3 of water per year, mainly from brackish water. A decision to desalinate on a larger scale was taken in 2000 as a result of Israel’s growing water scarcity. The national goal is to produce 750 million m3/year of desalinated water in 2020 (MAE, 2005). In the near future a string of desalination plants along the Mediterranean coast will produce 400 million m3 per year. One large plant for the desalination of seawater was recently completed on the Mediterranean coast, and is now producing 115 million m3 a year of potable water (MITL, 2008). Using the reverse osmosis process, this plant is generating water for about 60 cents per m3. All tenders issued for desalination facilities stipulate stringent threshold levels for water quality and provide incentives for even higher water qualities, especially in terms of chloride levels, in order to allow for irrigation without the attendant problem of soil salinity. In 2002, the total installed gross desalination capacity (design capacity) in Israel was 439,878 m3/day or 160.6 million m3/year (Wangnick Consulting, 2002). Out of a total of 450 million m3 of sewage produced in Israel, about 96 per cent is collected in central sewage systems and 64 per cent of the effluents are reclaimed (290 million m3); 283 million m3 are adequately treated. Local authorities are responsible for the treatment of municipal sewage. In recent years, new or upgraded intensive treatment plants have been set up in municipalities throughout the country. The ultimate objective is to treat 100 per cent of Israel's wastewater to a level enabling unrestricted irrigation in accordance with soil sensitivity and without risk to soil and water sources (MOE, 2005a).

1.1.2.WATER USE In 2004, water consumption amounted to 1.95km3, almost identical to 2000 and 11 per cent more than in 1986 (1.76km3). Agriculture accounted for 58 per cent whereas it was 64 and 71 per cent in 1993 and in 1983 respectively. Municipal use accounted for 36 per cent and industrial purposes for 6 per cent. Primary surface water and primary groundwater withdrawal amounted to almost 80 per cent of the total withdrawals. Successive years of drought have dramatically lowered water levels in all of the main reservoirs. In fact, 1998/99 was the worst drought year in Israel for the past 100 years. The following years were also characterized by less than average rainfall which led to a shortfall of some 0.5 million m3 in Israel’s water balance each year, in comparison to an average year. The winters of 2002/03 and Country Overview - Israel 2003/04 were characterized by average and higher than average rainfall which led to a significant rise in the water level of Lake Tiberias and in the collection of floodwater in catchment reservoirs. However, the country’s aquifers have remained depleted. It is estimated that increased water demand and decreased water availability has led to a cumulative deficit of nearly 2,000 million m3. The National Water Carrier of Israel (in Hebrew commonly called HaMovil) is the main water project of Israel. Its main task is to transfer water from the rainy north of the country to the centre and arid south and to enable efficient use of water and regulation of water supply in the country. Most of the water works in Israel are combined with the National Water Carrier, the length of which is about 130km. Early plans were made before the establishment of the state of Israel but detailed planning started only after Israel's independence in 1948. The construction of the project started during the planning phase, long before the detailed final plan was completed and signed in 1956. The carrier consists of a system of aqueducts, tunnels, reservoirs and large-scale pumping stations. Building the carrier was a considerable technical challenge as it traverses a wide variety of terrains and elevations. Water conservation is the most reliable and least expensive way to stretch the country's water resources, and the challenge is being met in all sectors. Public water conservation campaigns coupled with technical and economic measures are being applied to reduce consumption and to increase awareness of water scarcity. In agriculture, the wide scale adoption of low volume irrigation systems (e.g. drip, micro-sprinklers) and automation has increased the average efficiency to 90 per cent as compared to 64 per cent for furrow irrigation. As a result, the average requirement of water per unit of land area has decreased from 8,700m3/ha in 1975 to the current application rate of 5,500m3/ha. At the same time agricultural output has increased twelve-fold, while total water consumption by the sector has remained almost constant. In the domestic and urban sectors, conservation efforts are focused on improvements in efficiency, resource management, repair, control and monitoring of municipal water systems. Citizens are urged to save water. The slogan "Don't waste a drop" is known in every home in Israel. Parks have been placed under a conservation regime, including planting of drought-resistant plants and watering at night (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2008).

(Water Risk Filter)