Israeli city first to aim for water independence

Israel may be in a severe water crisis, but in the city of Rishon LeZion the drought isn't causing any alarm. Summer temperatures regularly soar to the upper 80s and 90s, there's no rain for six months of the year, and the country's key source of drinking water, the Sea of Galilee reached the critical "Red Line" in July, but still city residents remain relaxed.

That's because Rishon LeZion, 20 kilometers south of Tel Aviv, is well on its way to becoming the "first independent municipal water economy? in Israel. It's a groundbreaking initiative that is attracting interest from countries all over the world searching for solutions to their own water problems.

Currently, Rishon LeZion provides 70 percent of its own water from local sources such as wells, with the remainder being supplied by Mekorot, Israel's national water company. But the city's municipal water company, Meniv Rishon, has set itself an ambitious goal: to turn Rishon LeZion into the first city in the country to be 100% water self-sufficient.

"We want to supply all of our water needs ourselves, for industry, agriculture and for households too," says Daniel Low, general manager of Meniv Rishon, a corporation owned by the Rishon LeZion Municipality. (more)