Jerusalem Water Outage: Desalination Crisis Explained

Residents across several Jerusalem neighborhoods endured a difficult night Tuesday as water service was cut off for extended periods. According to reports, multiple areas of the city experienced disruptions lasting many hours, leaving families without water for drinking and basic household needs.

One resident described the ordeal: "The water stopped around six in the evening. We had no water for approximately 12 hours. We had very little for drinking, and we rationed what we had. By chance we heard there would be an outage and filled two bottles, so that's what we had". He explained how the shortage affected every aspect of daily life: "There was no water for the toilets, we couldn't shower, there was nothing. We simply managed with what we had and waited for the water to return".

Another family recounted their struggle to cope with the unexpected crisis: "The nightmare scenarios they talked about during a potential war with Iran, at least then we still had a six-pack of water bottles. Usually water outages last one to three hours, so initially we didn't want to buy water. Only in the evening did we realize we had nothing to drink, let alone for toilets and showers".

The family was forced to search for water supplies: "We went to the grocery store and found one last six-pack of soda, but of course no water". He continued: "The peak of the nightmare was this morning, when I woke up and came half-asleep to wash my hands ritually, and there was no water". His mother took action: "My mother couldn't take it anymore and went to the municipal distribution point in the neighboring area, with a cart, buckets and empty bottles. We went back hundreds of years" .According to him, water service to his home was restored during the morning hours.

Residents reported receiving no advance notice of a planned outage or scheduled maintenance work in their area. "We didn't see anything beforehand, we received no notification. Around six o'clock the outage began and only a little water remained in the taps", one resident said.

The Hagihon water corporation, which serves Jerusalem, posted a notice stating that disruptions at desalination facilities affecting the national water supply could cause outages and service interruptions in Jerusalem as well. The corporation said it was working with relevant authorities to minimize disruptions and restore regular water service.

Water distribution facilities in Jerusalem (Photo: Haredim Jerusalem)

During an overnight call to Hagihon's reporting center, one resident sought to understand when water service would resume. The representative explained that Jerusalem's water supply was being affected by disruptions in the national system, and that certain areas were experiencing problems with water reservoirs.

When asked specifically about the Sanhedria neighborhood, the representative replied: "For Sanhedria neighborhood, you have a reservoir in Sanhedria? It's empty. The reservoir is empty". The resident was told that the next update on the situation would be available at 7:00 AM.

Hagihon announced that in cases of supply disruptions in various areas, residents would be updated regarding water distribution points and their operating hours. Water filling stations were opened throughout Jerusalem. The corporation asked residents to bring containers for filling, but noted that at this stage there was no need to stockpile water.

A water distribution facility in Jerusalem (Photo: Haredim Jerusalem)

The Jerusalem outages followed an unusual day for Israel's national water system. Abnormal weather conditions caused increased turbidity in seawater, leading to the shutdown of desalination facilities. This resulted in water supply disruptions in various parts of the country.

While some facilities later resumed operations, the disruptions continued to be felt in Jerusalem overnight. In an update issued this morning, the Water Authority and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure reported that most desalination plants were shut down due to elevated seawater turbidity levels.

The Water Authority clarified that household water supply would continue, but in locations experiencing localized problems, supply would be reduced. Simultaneously, public gardening and agricultural water use would be curtailed. Professional teams continue working to restore the water system to normal operations, while reports of localized disruptions in various parts of the country persist.