Mekorot pays special attention to water quality control and invests extensive resources to ensure the reliability of its water quality and supply.

To this end, the company operates over 500 installations that disinfect and treat water, using a variety of environmentally-friendly chemicals and processes. 

One example of Mekorot’s focus on water quality is an ultra-modern filtration plant it recently designed and constructed at its Eshkol facility.

Built at a cost of more than $100 million, the plant has an annual filtering capacity of more than 500 million cubic meters a year, is the largest of its kind in Israel and one of the largest in the world in terms of the amount of water it can process.

It also ranks among the most efficient water purification facilities worldwide.

The plant meets strict water quality targets matching those of Western countries i.e. turbidity not exceeding 1.0 NTU (nephelometric turbidity units) and will ensure that Mekorot continues to deliver high quality water to Israel’s residents. 

Mekorot’s water quality activities include:

• water sampling
• field testing
• carrying out of water quality surveys
• testing, monitoring and characterization of water quality
• protection of water sources
• planning of water treatment strategies
• management of emergencies
• assessment of environmental risks 
• laboratory testing quality control

A Global Leader
Mekorot has developed a variety of techniques and methods to streamline water treatment and testing in the field and the laboratory. 

Water Treatment
Mekorot employs a variety of mechanical, chemical and biological means to treat water in Israel’s National Water Carrier and the company’s reservoirs.

• Water treatment and purification operations include sand filtration and membranal filtration facilities designed to eliminate microscopic particles. 
• Filtration processes involve the passing of water through huge sand filters to extract small particles from the water and carbon filters to improve the water’s taste and neutralize the odor and taste of chlorine.
• Mechanical treatments involve the use of fine screens to filter water before it is pumped from natural water sources and reservoirs. 
• Chemical treatments such as aluminum-sulphate are administered before water enters reservoirs to capture particles floating in the water, and to remove chemical contaminants such as sulfides, iron, nitrates and organic pollutants.
  
  Disinfectants (chlor-dioxide and chloramines) are introduced to destroy bacteria. For this purpose, the company operates over 700 chlorination facilities and 80 fluoridation plants.   

Mekorot also uses novel, proprietary biological treatments against “nuisance factors” such as algae, snails and microscopic organisms, which bring an undesirable odor, appearance or taste to the water.

Using varieties of fish in a correct balance, the company decreases zooplankton and organic materials accumulating on the bottom of reservoirs.  

Download:   Water Quality and Security - WATEC 2007