In Eilat, all wastewater is treated to maintain a thriving south
Drinking water in Eilat, which has no freshwater sources, is a combination of groundwater and desalinated seawater
The drinking water in Eilat, which has no freshwater sources, is a combination of groundwater and desalinated seawater.
Under sweltering heat, an Israeli farmer adjusts the irrigation hose wrapped around a palm tree north of the Israeli seaside town of Eilat, nestled between the Red Sea and the desert.
The mineral-rich water that flows through the thin plastic tube and feeds the tall dates is a mixture of groundwater and recycled wastewater from the local sewage treatment plant.
"All the wastewater in Eilat is treated," says Arik Ashkenazi, chief engineer at Ein Netafim, the local water management and purification plant, during a visit to the palm grove. The water passes through tanks and containers that remove solids and toxic substances.
Drinking water in Eilat, which has no freshwater sources, is a combination of groundwater and desalinated seawater. Wastewater, used for domestic purposes, is treated and then transferred "down to the last drop" to farmers, says Mr. Ashkenazi. This helps maintain a thriving agricultural industry in this arid region.
They are mixed with groundwater and used on tree plantations stretching for miles to the north, he says.
At a time when climate change is impacting water management around the globe, this Eilat-based technique has become a prototype in Israel and elsewhere.
According to the UN, over two billion people worldwide have no access to drinking water. And floods and droughts caused by climate change are exacerbating the situation.