Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., April 21, 2008 Nisan 16, 5768 | | Israel Time: 17:27 (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

Last update - 04:09 21/04/2008 Water Authority: Drought years threaten drinking water supplies By Zafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Pollution, Water Authority  Israel stands to lose large amounts of drinking water due to poor quality and problems associated with drought years, according to the Water Authority. Among the threats to water quality, cowsheds in the south have been found to cause groundwater pollution, and sewage could soon pollute drilled wells in the Western Galilee. The Water Authority official in charge of quality, Sarah Elhanani, last week presented statistics at an emergency conference on water at the Agriculture Ministry's Beit Dagan facility: It emerged that the coastal aquifer, one of the two largest in the country, is fast becoming saline. Seventy years ago the quality of the water drawn from 80 percent of the area of the aquifer was defined as good; today, only 40 percent is so defined. Elhanani said that a recent joint study by the Beit Dagan Veterinary Institute and researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev showed that cowsheds in the southern communities of Be'er Tuvia, Masuot Yitzhak and Orot are the source of increased concentrations of salt and manure in groundwater and nearby top soil. Smaller amounts of veterinary hormones such as testosterone and estrogen were also detected. Advertisement Nine wells used for drinking water have been closed in the industrial zones of Holon, Rishon Letzion and Bat Yam in recent years due to industrial pollution, including high levels of chromium. Concentrations of perchlorate used by the military industries were found in 11 wells in Ramat Hasharon and Tel Aviv, leading to their closure, and the material continues to spread. A study on the impact of sewage on wells in streambeds by researchers led by Anat Magal of the Geological Survey of Israel was commissioned by the Water Authority following the severe case of sewage pollution two years ago of drinking water in wells drilled at the Kabri springs and Ein Ziv in Western Galilee. The study was published last week. Researchers introduced water containing dye at sites where sewage was suspected of percolating into wells, and the marked water took only 80 to 100 hours to cross 14 kilometers and reach the drill sites. The test indicated that large areas of the region could find themselves without a water supply within days of a sewage pollution event. In addition to improving treatment and delivery systems, the Water Authority has recommended the installation of water-quality monitoring systems to quickly detect sewage pollution Bookmark to del.icio.us   Passover in Damascus Syria's 100 remaining Jews say they feel free to celebrate Passover openly. Shanghai surprise A Jewish couple in Shanghai weds inside a synagogue for the first time since WWII.   1.   gee what a shame!! and not a friend in ther region! 04:21  |  well runs dry 21/04/08   2.   More Israeli Ingenuity In Water De-Salination Needed ... 05:02  |  Lavi 21/04/08   3.   Drinking water issue can be solved by 3 measures.. 06:54  |  Dr. L. Brnd 21/04/08   4.   Gaza is not our major water problem, and we do have a huge proble 09:07  |  Leon Blaustein 21/04/08   5.   stop imigration! 10:39  |  pvdh 21/04/08   6.   Leon #4, its too late now for environmental/"Green" measures 10:58  |  Dr. L. Brnd 21/04/08   7.   watercrisis simple solutions 11:52  |  yochanan 21/04/08   8.   Israel Polluting and Destroying the Holy Land 12:19  |  Mr. Know-It-All 21/04/08   9.   Dr L Brnd 12:40  |  Dr D 21/04/08   10.   Steal it from the "Arabs" 12:55  |  El-Birawi 21/04/08   11.   WELL runs dry. Israel imports water from Turkey IN the region 13:21  |  PETER SM 21/04/08   12.   EL BIRAWI" no water to drink"?? So they all died of thirst right? 13:25  |  PETER SM 21/04/08   13.   KNOWALL "Polluting & destroying" Which scientific journal 13:40  |  PETER SM 21/04/08   14.   Israel, Jordan and water 14:05  |  MR 21/04/08   15.   It appears there are more Jews 14:10  |  Stephen of New York 21/04/08   16.   #1 NOT TO WORRY 17:15  |  petra 21/04/08   17.   #10 THAT`S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUCCESS AND FAILURE. 17:19  |  petra 21/04/08   18.   3# 15 MOVE THE NON ISRAELIS AND PRESTO, 17:23  |  petra 21/04/08

Read & React Gideon Levy: Hamas and Israel - how different are they? Responses: 61 Jewish ex-aide to Bill Clinton accuses U.S. of pro-Israel bias Responses: 44 Syria's Assad 'eager' to restart Golan talks, says Carter Responses: 108 Israel to tighten Gaza embargo in wake of attacks Responses: 54 Rosner's Domain Fight Hamas, not AIPAC (WTR) The Passover test and The Passion of Passover Just say no to Carter Poll: What is Carter doing in the Middle East? Clinton: Massive retaliation if Israel attacked (WTR) More Headlines 17:26 Carter: Assad believes most differences with Israel already resolved 16:56 Two Palestinians killed in IAF strikes on Gaza Strip 14:17 Dear Diplomat, whose side are you really on? 15:06 El Al announces 6.5% ticket price hike due to higher oil costs 14:19 Researchers: We know secret of Joseph's biblical pest control 05:27 Israeli Arab students take to the fields to learn green activism 16:02 Man killed, another injured in Be'er Sheva car crash 10:46 Analysis / Keeping Gaza quiet until Israel's Independence Day 03:29 Israel to tighten controls at Gaza crossings in wake of attacks 09:50 Expected: No cuffs for some prisoners at hospital Previous Editions Select Day 20 apr 18 apr 17 apr 16 apr 15 apr 14 apr 13 apr 11 apr 10 apr 09 apr 08 apr 07 apr

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