By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
Improved performance by Mekorot and local authorities in looking after the purity of water supplies was the reason given by the Health Ministry on Thursday for the significant reduction in polluted water samples taken in most parts of the country.
Only 432 samples (0.48%) had unacceptably high levels of contaminants, the ministry said. Most of the polluted samples were from the Safed, Kinneret, Nazareth and Hadera districts. Still, there were 36 local authorities that failed to take water samples as required, the ministry said.
The ministry also reported that 75% to 80% of all Israelis get drinking water fluoridated at the proper level to improve dental health. This is double the rate of a decade ago.