Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., March 20, 2008 Adar2 14, 5768 | | Israel Time: 01:50 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Former watchdog: State didn't follow own water rules By Zafrir Rinat The government has failed to implement decisions reached six years ago to manage the water crisis, a former water commissioner said yesterday at a conference of the Israeli Water Association. Shimon Tal, association president, addressed the current state of water resources with two other water commissioners from Israel and the Palestinian Authority. They drew an extremely grave picture of water shortages and severely deteriorating quality. Advertisement Tal says only 130 million cubic meters of water is produced today, which is 40 percent of the amount the government had decided to produce (350 million cubic meters). Also, 25 percent less waste water is treated and recycled for irrigation than had been planned. A master plan prepared by the Water Authority to encourage conservation "is lying on a shelf collecting dust," Tal said. The current head of the Government Water Authority, as it was renamed 18 months ago, Prof. Uri Shani, said he is afraid of what might happen if 2009 is another drought year. "That would force us to make cuts that might cause severe harm," he said. Shani told the conference that another large desalination facility will begin operating in Hadera toward the end of next year, but that even this will not spell real relief if the low precipitation rate continues. Next year is more than 50 percent likely to bring below average rainfall, he added. Tal blamed delays by government ministries and planning committees for the failure to deal with Israel's water problems. He proposed moving to the next phase in planning the water economy: making the water authority an independent body. The director of the Palestinian Water Authority, Fadel Qawash, focused on the water situation in the Gaza Strip, which he described as catastrophic. "The groundwater aquifer in Gaza is essentially finished because of over pumping and pollution," he said. "Three-quarters of the water being pumped has a saline level higher than that permitted for drinking water." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Good Avraham Hunting An ex-security guard solves a problem that has baffled mathematicians for decades. A better place Some 2,400 African refugees have entered Israel via Egypt since January.

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