BREAKING NEWS

Despite rains, Israel still in water crisis

JANUARY 12, 2012 18:14

Although Lake Kinneret’s (Sea of Galilee) water level rose by 1.5 centimeters following yesterday’s rains to at 213.55 meters below sea level Thursday morning, the country is still in a continued state of water crisis, according to the Water Authority.

The water level is still 55 centimeters under the 213-meter red line, and a full 4.75 meters away from full capacity. Only 1 centimeter in the rise between Wednesday and Thursday can even be attributed to rainfall, as the other half-centimeter is a result of a temporary cease in National Water Carrier pumping from the lake, as the system is closed for routine maintenance, according to Water Authority Spokesman Uri Schor.

“We rose one centimeter – that means we need about 475 more such days in order to fill the Kinneret,” Schor said.

The Kinneret, he stressed, is only one of three main water sources in Israel – the other two are the mountain and coastal aquifers – and from all of these, the country is lacking about 2 billion cubic meters of water, an amount equivalent to the consumption of all the households in Israel for three years.

“We are expecting a bit more rain, but the rain is not as strong as we hoped it would be,” Schor said, noting that the winter season is already over halfway over. “We must continue to conserve water and to use water with maximum efficiency.”

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