Energy Minister Eli Cohen reassures the public that there will be an uninterrupted water supply to homes, even with most desalination plants shut down for the second time in days.
“The State of Israel has a dependable water supply, and we will ensure the regular supply of water to all homes throughout the country,” Cohen says.
His statement comes after local authorities were told to limit the use of public water, and to reduce irrigation in agriculture and public parks and gardens.
Five out of the country’s six desalination stations first shut down Saturday due to high levels of turbidity, or murkiness, apparently due to microalgae being carried to Israel’s southern coast by waves from the Nile Delta. They had reopened on Monday.
Cohen says the phenomenon was extremely rare and “not seen in the last 20 years.”
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
