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This is an interesting one. An article in “Yediot Ahronot” today was about a report by the Environmental Protection Office in Israel, warning of a potential health hazard brought about as a result of the collapse of water purification plants in several local municipalities.

The report warns that a significant number of water purification plants are on the verge of shut down and that 10 of them have already stopped operating. The reason, local municipalities are not transferring the necessary funds for the operation and maintenance of these facilities, as required by law.
The result is that sewer water is being recycled back into the drinking water reserves and finally the taps at home. Yummy !

Dr. Yael Mason of the Environmental Protection Office claims “an ecological disaster may occur as a result of the flow of millions of cubic meters of sewer water into the Kineret (sea of Galilee) and sources of the Yarkon, potentially causing the pollution of drinking and fresh water sources”.

The report mentions 10 water purification plants that are collapsing or have collapsed due to unpaid financial obligations by the local municipalities.

The ministry of the Interior responded yesterday by saying that based under legal advisement, the ministry can’t force local municipalities to pay their debt to purification plants by holding back their budgets. The Environmental Protection Office can sue and fine the local municipalities that will cause them to improve their payment and fiscal responsibility.

Interesting….you would think that if the local municipalities had any fiscal responsibility to begin with the water purification plants would still be working. Suing the municipalities sounds expensive; I guess there goes the budget of the Environmental Protection Office.

Original article written by Nurit Palter for “Yediot Ahronot“.