As the records of the Water Authority and the Environmental Protection Ministry demonstrate, pollution from petrol stations and storage facilities has in the past years constituted an increasing environmental concern. The Water Authority has recently released alarming data, suggesting the problem might affect Israel's drinking water.

The good news, however, is that at the same time, the relevant parties have stepped up their efforts to contain the problem and counter pollution. The largest of Israel's petrol companies, Paz, has even agreed to initiate a treatment program for all stations posing an environmental threat.

Last month, during the annual conference of the Israel Water Association, the organization presented alarming data concerning petrol pollution in drinking water. The data, collected by the association's Water Quality Branch, pertained to 63 water reservoirs and sites. Forty-seven of them were found to contain varying levels of pollution. Last year, only 13 sites were surveyed. Ten were found to be polluted.

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Some of the underground water reservoirs surveyed were polluted with petrol that seeped into them from the fuel-storage facilities of two Air Force bases: Hatzor in the Galilee and Tel Nof near Rehovot. The refineries in Ashdod were employed to pump the deposits clean, separating the petrol from the water itself. Similar procedures were performed in the facilities of Petroleum & Energy Infrastructures Ltd. in Ashkelon. However, Guy Reshef from the Israel Water Association told Haaretz that the efforts were mostly aimed at containing the pollution, rather than salvaging the water already contaminated.

Reshef says that petrol stations and facilities usually create a pollution extending to around 150 meters from the structure itself. According to Reshef, until now petrol facilities have not posed a risk of polluting water reservoirs. "In the past 20 years, we never once had a case in which we had to abandon a fresh-water drilling project because of petrol pollution," he said.

The environmental and health risks are nonetheless increasing, as reflected in the Water Association's report to the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee. One of the cases noted in the report concerns a petrol station in Ramat Aviv. The area around the compound holds an underground reservoir whose water contains dangerous levels of benzene, a toxic and carcinogenic compound found in fuel.

Another instance is that of the petrol station at Kibbutz Ein Carmel, which the report names as a source of pollution to the kibbutz's well and underground water reservoir.

During 2005-2006, the Water Authority issued 17 notices requiring petrol companies to act to contain the omissions. During that time, various responsible parties took steps to contain pollution in 12 different sites.

The Environmental Protection Ministry is also active in exposing petrol pollution and has initiated and engaged in legal proceedings against the various petrol companies. Recently, the ministry completed an extensive work procedure for the petrol companies, compiled through the cooperation of Paz.

The principal commitment Paz has agreed to take upon itself is the purification of the surroundings of all petrol stations built before 1997. The project is expected to be completed in seven to 10 years. In addition, Paz pledged to invest some of its earnings in surveying and purifying areas polluted with petrol. The company will survey seven areas per month, according to a priority sheet which will be determined by the ministry.