Water Campaign

The level of the Kinneret to date (June 2009) is -213.395M. The “Red Line” below which pumping water is harmful to the lake is -213M, the “Black Line”, pumping below which causes irreversible damage is -215M. This means that Israel today is below the danger line and approaching the point of no return. Water being so scarce, one would think Israel should do all in its power to keep it in abundance and flowing naturally.

Hence, it is worrying to hear when Israel’s two largest mineral water suppliers announce a halt in their activity due to “irregularities in the water testing” stemming from lack of rain. The water level in the kinneret is receding and instead of opening the news every night, this tidbit of information seems to evade public awareness.

The issue of advancing solutions for the water crisis in Israel was chosen as a focal issue for Green Course at the beginning of this academic year. Following the national convention in Kibbutz Degania, this year’s Green Course priorities were marked out:

• Advancing a viable policy for water conservation in Israel: a long term master plan in which desalination is a last resort.

• Advancing a legislative initiative (Grey Water Law) sorting the recycling of “Grey water” in Israel.

• Directing calculated consumer behavior and promoting conservation in the private sector: generating success through Israel’s campuses.

These to be achieved by:

• Creating regional teams including to further study the issue, including legal and scientific aspects (already underway)

• Promoting issues in the Knesset and vis-à-vis decision makers

• Promoting Greywater irrigation on municipal level

• “Water Day” – a large festival devoted to raising awareness to water conservation amongst the public.1

• Local campaigns to protect water reservoirs most notably, Ein Zahav2.

Help us promote solutions to Israel's water crisis