"This is enormous news that will drive growth across the entire region and surrounding communities," says Infrastructure and Energy Minister Eli Cohen.
Israel’s national water company, Mekorot, announced on Wednesday that it is beginning work to double the water supply to Eilat and nearby areas. This will involve increasing the capacity of the Sabcha desalination plant, which has long been the region's main water source. The project is estimated to cost around NIS 800 million, with NIS 500 million allocated to expand the desalination plant and NIS 300 million to build supporting infrastructure.
The project is intended to meet the city’s future growth needs while also supporting tourism and agriculture in the southern Arava. At the cornerstone-laying ceremony for the expansion of the existing desalination facility (the Sabcha D project), Infrastructure and Energy Minister Eli Cohen described the initiative as “enormous news” for Eilat and its surrounding communities. “Doubling the supply of desalinated water will contribute to the growth of the entire region, allow for a significant increase in the number of residents, strengthen agriculture and improve water supply, all while keeping prices low thanks to efficient and innovative desalination technologies,” Cohen said. “We will continue to strengthen Israel’s position as a global leader in water technologies.”
Cohen added that Eilat could grow to a population of around 100,000 residents, making the expansion of water supply to the area a practical necessity. Mekorot Acting CEO Danny Sofer noted that the current water supply relies primarily on seawater desalination and groundwater. Mekorot began desalinating water for the region as early as the 1960s, and in the late 1970s established the existing desalination facility, the first of its kind in Israel.
Since then, the water supply has been based mainly on the current plant, which has a capacity of up to 18 million cubic meters per year. “In recent years, demand in the region has caught up with supply, prompting the Israeli government to determine that Mekorot must significantly expand water supply to the area, or else the development of Eilat, tourism, and agriculture could come to a halt,” Sofer said. “Since the 1960s, Mekorot has strengthened Eilat and the Arava through the desalination of seawater and brackish groundwater.
Expanding the desalination facility under the Sabcha D project will meet the growing demand for water in Eilat and the Arava for decades to come, and help put the region on a path of growth and development toward the end of the decade.” The launch event and cornerstone-laying ceremony were attended by senior Mekorot officials, regional council heads, and company employees.
Eilat Mayor Eli Lankri welcomed the project, saying Eilat is a strategic asset for the State of Israel and, in line with its vision, is expected to grow to a city of 100,000 residents and beyond. “This is a goal that requires infrastructure, connectivity and the capacity to accommodate a large population while providing a high quality of life,” Lankri said. “Expanding water infrastructure is a necessary condition for the continued development of Eilat and the Arava, and Sabcha D will provide a response to increasing desalination capacity and strengthening the region’s water base for decades to come.”