Water supply and sanitation in Israel

Israel: Water and Sanitation
Data
Access to an improved water source	100% (2015)[1]
Access to improved sanitation	100% (2015)[1]
Continuity of supply (%)	Very high
Average urban water use (liter/capita/day)	137[2]
Average urban domestic water and sewer bill for 20m3	249.60 NIS (Dec. 2010)
Share of household metering	Very high
Non-revenue water	n/a
Share of collected wastewater treated	over 90%[3]
Annual investment in water supply and sanitation	n/a
Sources of financing	Bond issues and subsidies (Mekorot), government grants, soft loans and self-financing from revenues (municipalities), equity and commercial loans (desalination plants)
Institutions
Decentralization to municipalities	Yes (for water distribution and sanitation)
National water and sanitation company	Mekorot (Bulk water supplier)
Water and sanitation regulator	Governmental Authority of Water and Sewerage
Responsibility for policy setting	Minister of Energy and Water Resources
Sector law	Water Law 1959, amended most recently in 2006
Number of service providers	1 Bulk water supplier 76 cities 144 local councils 53 regional councils

Water supply and sanitation in Israel are intricately linked to the historical development of Israel. Because rain falls only in the winter, and largely in the northern part of the country, irrigation and water engineering are considered vital to the country's economic survival and growth. Large scale projects to desalinate seawater, direct water from rivers and reservoirs in the north, make optimal use of groundwater, and reclaim flood overflow and sewage have been undertaken. Among them is the National Water Carrier, carrying water from the country's biggest freshwater lake, the Sea of Galilee, to the northern part of the Negev desert through channels, pipes and tunnels.^[4] Israel's water demand today outstrips available conventional water resources. Thus, in an average year, Israel relies for about half of its water supply on unconventional water resources, including reclaimed water and desalination. A particularly long drought in 1998–2002 had prompted the government to promote large-scale seawater desalination. In 2022, 85% of the country's drinkable water was produced through desalination of saltwater and brackish water.^[5][6]