We are now in the middle of November and are still waiting for the first serious rains of the winter. The Sea of Galillee is fast approaching its black line, the line at which serious damage to the eco system will occur.
Desalination plants are coming on stream one by one, but the need to recycle waste water is paramount.
Out of a total of 500 million cubic meters (MCM) of sewage produced in Israel in 2008, about 70% of the effluents were reclaimed, a figure not many countries can claim to reach.
Local authorities are responsible for the treatment of municipal sewage. In recent years new or upgraded intensive treatment plants were set up in municipalities throughout the country. The ultimate objective is to treat 100% of Israel's wastewater to a level enabling unrestricted irrigation in accordance with soil sensitivity and without risk to soil and water sources.
Some Facts and Figures
500 MCM of wastewater were produced in Israel in 2008
31% MCM of the effluents underwent tertiary treatment (155 MCM)
55% of the wastewater underwent secondary treatment (275 MCM)
92% of the wastewater was adequately treated (460 MCM)
8% of the wastewater remained untreated.
We still need to pray for rain and after the current hot spell with temperatures in the 90's is due to end tomorrow, we have been told by the forecasters to expect rain. Let's hope they are right.
Showing posts with label Sea of Galilee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sea of Galilee. Show all posts
Monday, November 15, 2010
Friday, February 13, 2009
No Water Anywhere!!
So the elections are over, until the next time. some say it will be within the next 18 months!! All the so-called experts are giving the benefit of their “experience” and serving to confuse the issue further.
The issue of security is uppermost in most people’s minds but one matter seems to have been avoided by all the candidates and that issue is WATER.
The Sea of Galilee is at an all time low, the rains of this winter are drastically below what we need, agriculture is going to suffer further this year and yet where were the budding politicians words on this most delicate issue.
It is said that average January rainfall represents 40% of our needs. This year instead of 325 million cubic meters of rainfall, we got less than 50. Our agreement with Jordan requires that we allocate the Jordanians part of the water resources and so just where is the plan for the future?
The country currently needs of the order of 850 million cubes of water per year from the Sea of Galilee and the various aquifers along the coastal region. With rainfall at the levels of the last few years, we can barely provide 250-300 million cubic meters.
So what is to be done? Well there are plans but these needs to be put into operation. Two operating desalination plants are today producing 135 million cubic meters and there are tenders out for quotation to increase their capacity to 150 million cubic meters by the end of this year. An additional plant at Hadera is to nearing completion later this year and will give an additional 100 million cubic meters expanding to 127 million cubic meters shortly thereafter.
Another plant at Ashdod with a capacity of 100 mill c.m. will not be completed before 2011 and further south yet another new plant of 150 mill c.m. is slated for completion in 2012. This last plant will be the biggest reverse osmosis plant in the world.
Meanwhile the treatment of waste water continues to increase and to provide agriculture with some of its needs as does the use of brackish water.
And for the man in the street? Well, gardens cannot be watered and the use of hose pies for washing cars is prohibited and although some are still ignoring these restrictions, the awareness of the need to save is mounting.
The issue of security is uppermost in most people’s minds but one matter seems to have been avoided by all the candidates and that issue is WATER.
The Sea of Galilee is at an all time low, the rains of this winter are drastically below what we need, agriculture is going to suffer further this year and yet where were the budding politicians words on this most delicate issue.
It is said that average January rainfall represents 40% of our needs. This year instead of 325 million cubic meters of rainfall, we got less than 50. Our agreement with Jordan requires that we allocate the Jordanians part of the water resources and so just where is the plan for the future?
The country currently needs of the order of 850 million cubes of water per year from the Sea of Galilee and the various aquifers along the coastal region. With rainfall at the levels of the last few years, we can barely provide 250-300 million cubic meters.
So what is to be done? Well there are plans but these needs to be put into operation. Two operating desalination plants are today producing 135 million cubic meters and there are tenders out for quotation to increase their capacity to 150 million cubic meters by the end of this year. An additional plant at Hadera is to nearing completion later this year and will give an additional 100 million cubic meters expanding to 127 million cubic meters shortly thereafter.
Another plant at Ashdod with a capacity of 100 mill c.m. will not be completed before 2011 and further south yet another new plant of 150 mill c.m. is slated for completion in 2012. This last plant will be the biggest reverse osmosis plant in the world.
Meanwhile the treatment of waste water continues to increase and to provide agriculture with some of its needs as does the use of brackish water.
And for the man in the street? Well, gardens cannot be watered and the use of hose pies for washing cars is prohibited and although some are still ignoring these restrictions, the awareness of the need to save is mounting.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Yes, There is Snow
This blog focuses on the environment. Today, saw the first real snow for some years in Jerusalem. Schools were closed; so many families spent a day together. The traditional snowman was built, the clothes were dried out and the family gathered together to watch a video. More snow is forecast for the next day, possibly two so the ritual will continue.
Here on the Carmel Mountain in Haifa, we are probably not quite high enough for snow but the storm gave a friend of ours a great opportunity for photographing of the waves lashing the coast. We have had quite a bit of rain and we have heard the Sea of Galilee has risen 5 cm but we need that almost every day for the month of February to give us a fighting chance of avoiding rationing in the summer
Improving the environment is now the internationally stated gaol. However, words are not enough, there needs to be action taken.
A great new project has started in over 20 schools in the Bet Shemesh ( situated between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv ) to educate children on the issue of the protecting the environment, by giving them the tools to calculate their own and their school’s ecological footprint.
The organization “Sviva Israel” introduces the concept of the three “R”s, - reduce, reuse and recycle to the children to understand the role they can play in improving their lifestyle. The lesson plan gives the example of three children who drink 10 half litre bottles of coke a week. One decides to reduce the quantity he drinks to two bottles, the second buys 5 litre bottles instead of the 10 half litre bottles, the third continues to drink the 10 half litre bottles but pledges to recycle them
The web site www.svivaisrael.org has a questionnaire to allow you to calculate your personal ecological footprint. I did it – the results are quite frightening. If everyone lived my lifestyle, we would need 3 earths to meet the need.
We all really need to think about our life patterns
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Cold and Not Rainy
The country is in the middle (or hopefully towards the end of a cold spell that has left at least four people dead from hypothermia, Israel Electric reported this week that demand for electricity hit an all-time winter high of 10,024 megawatts this week, representing 94% of its potential generating capacity.
Temperatures are getting as low as 0°C and with the windchill factor reaching -5°C during the evenings making air conditioners and other electric appliances work overtime. With electricity generation so close to its maximum there are fears that there may be a need to initiate rolling blackouts to prevent the power system from shutting down.
The last time there were blackouts was in June 206 when the electric company was caught off-guard by an early wave of extremely hot weather. Then it was necessary initiate a series of intentional blackouts to protect the power system from shutting down due to a spike in demand and insufficient capacity.
Newspaper reports contain a campaign by the Electricity company to provide our consumers with tips on how to save energy, and there are television commercials, radio advertisements and with pieces of advice included in monthly electricity bills," she said.
Included among tips is the recommendation to not set home thermostats above 20 degrees Celsius, as every degree higher forces the unit to work 5 percent harder.
The previous high for electricity demand in the winter came two years ago, peaking at 9,450 MW. The all-time high demand, winter and summer, was set this past July, topping 10,070 MW.
Further, a campaign among the country's manufacturers has been initiated to encourage them to cut down on energy usage during peak hours in exchange for reduced rates during the rest of the year.
Brrrr!! At least the forecast for the next few days is a warming trend. But where oh where is the rain? Nothing of significance in the last two weeks and it is already the middle of January. The Sea of Galilee is still as of today only 47 cm above the red line and 3.73 metres below the upper limit. There is going to be fun this summer!!
Temperatures are getting as low as 0°C and with the windchill factor reaching -5°C during the evenings making air conditioners and other electric appliances work overtime. With electricity generation so close to its maximum there are fears that there may be a need to initiate rolling blackouts to prevent the power system from shutting down.
The last time there were blackouts was in June 206 when the electric company was caught off-guard by an early wave of extremely hot weather. Then it was necessary initiate a series of intentional blackouts to protect the power system from shutting down due to a spike in demand and insufficient capacity.
Newspaper reports contain a campaign by the Electricity company to provide our consumers with tips on how to save energy, and there are television commercials, radio advertisements and with pieces of advice included in monthly electricity bills," she said.
Included among tips is the recommendation to not set home thermostats above 20 degrees Celsius, as every degree higher forces the unit to work 5 percent harder.
The previous high for electricity demand in the winter came two years ago, peaking at 9,450 MW. The all-time high demand, winter and summer, was set this past July, topping 10,070 MW.
Further, a campaign among the country's manufacturers has been initiated to encourage them to cut down on energy usage during peak hours in exchange for reduced rates during the rest of the year.
Brrrr!! At least the forecast for the next few days is a warming trend. But where oh where is the rain? Nothing of significance in the last two weeks and it is already the middle of January. The Sea of Galilee is still as of today only 47 cm above the red line and 3.73 metres below the upper limit. There is going to be fun this summer!!
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