(New York Times) Isabel Kershner - Israel has experienced a "water revolution" in the wake of a severe seven-year drought that threatened Israel's entire water supply. Although many of Israel's natural water reserves are still suffering, the government has pioneered a variety of methods to recycle the water that has already been in use. Over the past decade, the Israeli government has built four desalination plants along the Mediterranean coast and plans to open a fifth plant this year; these desalination plants will produce an estimated 130 billion gallons of potable water per year. In addition, the Israeli government has increased its efforts to recycle wastewater and sell it back to the agricultural industry. Finally, nationwide changes in home water consumption policies have cut household water use by more than 18 percent in the past few years. These efforts have successfully prevented Israel from suffering even further under the severe droughts plaguing the Middle East.
2015-06-01 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive