Several Israeli desalination plants south of Hadera were temporarily shut down Monday after unusual weather conditions caused severe turbidity in the Mediterranean Sea, preventing the facilities from operating normally.

Israel’s Water Authority said the unusual sea conditions affected water quality and forced some desalination facilities to suspend operations. Authorities also ordered a reduction in the supply of fresh water for agricultural use in southern Israel.

Despite the shutdowns, officials stressed that Israel’s overall water system continues to operate normally. Mekorot, Israel’s national water company, has begun increasing production from other available water sources to compensate for the disruption.

Officials expect some of the affected desalination plants to resume operations in the near future as sea conditions improve. Full operations will return once turbidity levels decline and the seawater becomes sufficiently clear.

The shutdown initially raised concerns that Israel’s water infrastructure may have been targeted in a cyberattack, particularly amid previous Iranian attempts to attack Israeli water systems. However, an industry official told N12 that the disruption was not caused by a cyber incident.

Israel’s National Cyber Directorate has previously warned that Iranian actors have repeatedly attempted to target the country’s water sector, but said those efforts have so far failed to cause significant damage.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)