Beersheba water supply cut-off as temperatures soar

Disruption caused after Israel Train workers drill into city's main waterline; head of local water company says water will return in one day.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Water 311 (photo credit: Associated Press)
Water 311
(photo credit: Associated Press)
Residents of Beersheba were suffering from the effects of unseasonably high temperatures on Wednesday after a central waterline was damaged, cutting the city off from its water supply.
Wednesday was the third day on which 30 to 40 thousand residents were without water after the Israel Train company accidentally damaged the waterline as part of their work to broaden the train tracks in the city.
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Meanwhile, temperatures soared to 42 degrees Celsius.Beersheba's Soroka Hospital was also cut-off from the water supply but experienced no shortage as it was running on emergency water reserves.
The water supply will return to normal only on Thursday, said Ilan Shomrat, director-general of city water corporation "Mi Sheba" which is working to fix the water problem. Shomrat's company has been supplying water containers to neighborhoods which were also out of electricity, including the Alef, Bet, Gimel, Daled neighborhoods and those in the center. Mi Sheba has also set up local distribution centers throughout Beersheba.
"It is true that until now we have succeeded in stabilizing the water supply to the city, excluding the Gimel neighborhood," said Shomrat. The Israel Train company drilled and seriously damaged a water pipeline which supplies water to the north-eastern part of the city," he added.
High numbers of workers have been working to fix the problem as fast as possible.