In March 2017, Globes reported on a bill to protect Israel's Mediterranean waters, sponsored by lawmakers from coalition and opposition. It foresaw a dedicated sea authority with an annual budget of NIS 10.5 million. Tammy Ganot of the environmental group Adam Teva V'Din stressed that about 70 percent of drinking water came from desalination and that polluted seawater could halt the plants. The Soreq plant had earlier been shut down after treated wastewater reached the sea. According to Ganot, the Water Authority then penalised operators for missed delivery volumes.
The report showed how closely marine protection and drinking water supply were already linked in Israel in 2017: where most drinking water came from the sea, coastal water quality became a question of supply.
Source: Globes