Israel to build 5th desalination plant

After a long delay, the Israeli Finance Ministry has granted a license for the country's fifth desalination plant, to be built in the coastal city of Ashdod.

The Mekorot water utility will build and operate the $423 million plant. It will use reverse osmosis to produce 100 million cubic meters of purified sea water a year by 2013, with possible capacity expansion to 150 million cubic meters a year.

It is planned that Israel's five plants will together supply 75 percent of the country's drinking water by 2013.

Other four desalination plants are:
• Palmachim - On line since 2007, currently produces 50 million cubic meters of water a year.
• Hadera - On line since 2010, currently produces 127 million cubic meters of water a year.
•Ashkelon - On line since 2006, currently produces 118 million cubic meters of water a year.
•Soreq - Expected to come on line in 2013, capacity 150 million cubic meters of water a year (approved expansion to 300 million cubic meters of water a year).

Israel currently gets most of its water from underground reservoirs and the Sea of Galilee. The country has been hit by several years of drought.

Source: Associated Press