As per the United Nations Report, more than 40% of the world population will face the water crisis’s devastating impact. People worldwide think that water is an inexhaustible resource, and thus, they are unable to understand the looming water issues that are coming their way. Governments worldwide are looking for solutions that can enable them to get rid of water issues.
When you check the recent facts about the water crisis, you will find that more than 844 million people lack access to basic drinking problems. Women and girls spend hours every day hauling water. One of the Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations is to provide universal access to clean water and sanitation by 2030. Countries all over the world are aiming to achieve this Sustainable development Goal.
When it comes to nations in Middle East Regions, water resources are becoming scarce. Like Yemen, Israel, and Iraq, most countries in the Middle East are facing acute water shortages that need immediate attention from the world. In the last 30 years, the water table in this region has dropped by one meter every year.
The Middle East has numerous challenges in terms of its struggles with water shortage. To generate an optimal water solution for the future, the region needs immediate attention and sustainable solutions.
One of the most talked-about countries that are making huge progress in terms of water technology in Israel. The water industry in Israel shows a high level of innovation and sophisticated technology. Israel water technology works by implementation by different countries of the world. Neighboring countries near Israel are certainly facing acute water shortages, but Israeli citizens enjoy constant and reliable water sources.
As per a study, it has been found that the average consumption of water in Israel is 2.2Bn cubic meters of water per year. In contrast, the country receives only 1.2 Bn cubic meters of water through precipitation and other modes. Thus, the nation can fulfill its need for water by making innovation in Israel’s water technology.
Israel has made a huge success in the water sector because of progressive technology and innovation. The country has made progress in all water sectors like water desalination, purification, reclamation of water for agriculture, and an efficient water transport system. Nations around the world should learn from the reputation Israel has made in the area of water.
Since the year 2004, a new center for entrepreneurship has been in operation in Israel. This center works towards the innovation of Israel water technology. The center functions by encouraging businesses as well as corporations in promoting R&D for Israel water technology.
Different technological inventions have taken place in Israel regarding Israel’s water technology, and we will talk about all these technological innovations in this article.
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Main water sources in Israel
Israel is a small country, but Israel has different climatic regions because of its location and typography. In the Northern part of Israel lies the snow-crusted Mt. Hermon. The plains in Israel along the Mediterranean sea received almost 23-inches of water per year.
The Negev desert region in Israel receives pretty scarce rain. Thus, overall, Israel faces a scarcity of water. Israel receives 90% rainwater in the winter months, and the rest of the year is mostly dry. Following are the major sources of water in Israel:
Water from the Jordan River and Galilee Sea
The upper part of the Jordan River flows into the freshwater lake named the Sea of Galilee. Thus, it provides the largest source of fresh water to Israel.
Groundwater
The main groundwater sources in Israel are the Groundwater aquifers and the coastal aquifers, with regional aquifers lying in Galilee and the Negev region. Thus, in an area where water is like liquid gold, different technological innovations need the hour. Water is such a precious commodity.
Israel has committed to recapturing and reusing water by using different Israel water technology. We will look into different technological innovations made by Israel in terms of water technology in detail.
Water technology in Israel
People know Israel as the land of milk and honey, but unfortunately, it has not been blessed with an abundance of water. Thus, since before the scarcity of water began, Israel tried to look for different water technology to help preserve, conserve, and properly use water as a resource.
Water as an important resource was subject to discussion ever since the Zionist movement. More than a decade ago, when Israel got its statehood, the Mekorot water company was created. The company played a crucial role in its effort to combat issues related to the water crisis.
Today, Israel’s ministry of industries has listed more than 166 Israel water technology companies. Out of these, 91 companies help offer water efficiency solutions, and 50 companies are involved in wastewater reuse and desalination work. On the other hand, 25 companies offer water control and command systems. The best part about Israel’s water technology is serving the local market and the water technology in the world. Water technology from Israel is transported to the world for a whopping sum of $1.5 billion every year.
Major innovations in water technology in different segments
Solutions for small irrigation
In ancient times, farmers in the Middle East kept unglazed pots adjacent to the trees and then filled those pots with water. The water then dripped from the pot to water the plant and the trees. The modern drip irrigation system innovated by Israel water technology offers 70% to 80% efficiency.
Different R&D methods are also employed to improve the efficacy of the irrigation system. Some of the field’s major innovations include sub-surface irrigation, fertigation, and the development of new generation drippers for hydroponics.
The major benefit of sub-surface irrigation is that it delivers water directly to the roots, leading to a reduction in evaporation. The Fergination method helps to distribute fertilizer through the drip irrigation system. Smart irrigation management is also used to measure the crop root environment, and it can measure the crop’s need for irrigation and fertilizer.
Companies like Galcon, Sadot irrigation system, and Queengil have made smart innovations in Israel water technology so that different solutions can exist with regard to small irrigation. Israel-made products and technology account for more than 50% of the Global market for Drip irrigation.
Water Resource Management in Israel
Israel has made a huge investment in improving its efficacy in water resource management. Companies in Israel have made efforts to develop state-of-the-art water management systems. In 1953, the state initiated an important project called the National Water Carrier that created the national water network.
Since the starting, the national pipeline that was created transported water from the Northern part of Israel to the arid southern region. Thus, farmers in the southern part of Israel were able to start irrigation and develop agriculture with maximum ease.
Tahal is an organization that advises the government in Israel related to different water resource management frameworks. The organization also works in close collaboration with nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This group performs the main task of planning and developing regional and national water management systems.
In addition to the national water carrier project, another major project that works toward water management in Israel is the project by Mekorot. It has established a central filtration plant with a filtration capacity of more than 500 million cubic meters.
Mekorot has played an important role in the commercialization of water management systems, and it makes $500 million every year by exporting the technology all over the world.
Getting rid of poor infrastructure
Just having an apt water distribution system is not important. Continuous monitoring is important so that leaks and faults can be seen. As per a report, almost 60% of drinking water is lost in the distribution before it reaches the final consumer.
The distribution loss amounts to the loss of almost $15 billion every year. The loss is mainly because of the leaky infrastructure.
An Israeli company named TaKaDu aims to address the leaky infrastructure issue by using advanced mathematical algorithms and models. The company’s water-saving monitoring technology plays an instrumental role in cutting huge energy costs related to water transportation.
In fact, TaKaDu’s software solution has also won international recognition. Another company, called Miya, is also involved in improving the urban water transport system. Thus, it aims to save water resources as well as energy by using innovative technology. They assess the water system of the city, and they also help in full project planning, execution, and maintenance.
Many companies in Israel have innovated different water-saving techniques and technology. It’s exciting to know that almost all homes in Israel have fully-equipped dual-flush toilets. In addition to this, an innovative digital electro-mechanical faucet system is also being developed that provides real-time data about flow rates and water consumption of all households in Israel.
Water purification and reuse
The shortage of water in Israel has compelled innovators and companies to discover methods that can reduce water and reuse water. Every year, Israel water technology helps in reclaiming 630mm cubic meters of wastewater for different agricultural usages.
The water purification sector in Israel provides help in tasks related to the quality improvement of water. Some of these tasks include reclamation of wastewater and development of technology related to chemical, biological, and physical treatment of industrial wastewater as well as sludge.
Mekorot was in a leadership role in the creation of the “Third pipeline enterprise project.” The company established a system that aimed at purifying sewage water received from the center of the country.
Then the recycled and purified water was transported to the Negev desert region in Israel. The Israel water technology development took place so that water flowing from the central region of the country did not mix with the groundwater used for drinking. Thus, the recycled water enabled farmers to enjoy the economic benefit through agriculture in the Negev desert region.
Another major project that played an instrumental role in water purification was the “Geulat Ha Yarkon project.” This project’s main objective was to rehabilitate the polluted Yarkon river water in the Dan region of Israel. This project enabled water consumption in households, and later on, water treatment and recycling provided help for agriculture and gardening purposes.
The wastewater treatment plan under Israel water technology relates to the innovation of techniques and technology for innovation of membranes and streamlining and reducing the cost of filtration.
The chemical purification
This method involved the use of an oxidation process for the purification of water. Under another chemical purification mode, ionized plasma gas worked to break down the pollutants present in water.
Physical purification
Atlatitium is one of the renowned companies in Israel that played an instrumental role in physical purification. The company innovated an instrument that transported the water through a glass pipe where the UV rays were projected.
The breakup of rays inside the glass pipe helped in getting rid of bacteria from the water. Because of the company’s recent innovation, countries worldwide are now using UV rays for the purification of water.
Cleaning of filters
A company named Amiad developed a unique technology that helped in cleaning water filters. The suction-scanning technology developed by the company combined the flush with automation to provide comprehensive cleaning of the filtration screen area.
Desalination
70% of the earth’s surface has water. But, it is impossible to use all this water because almost 97.5% of water is saline water of the sea. The idea of seawater purification helped Israel to solve its water issues. David Ben-Gurion (Israel first prime minister) laid heavy stress on the desalination of water and thus encouraged investment in R&D related to desalination. In the mid-1950s, desalination was heavily used to get pure drinking water.
Israel has been involved in exploring different desalination technology to the world since the 1960s. The country has developed different Israel water technology for Desalination. Some of these technologies include:
Vacuum freezing vapor compression
IDE Technology in Israel launched the world’s largest seawater reverse osmosis plant in 2005. The company has devised a plan that helps in providing 2 million cubic meters of drinkable water every day.
CCD Technology
The Closed Circuit Desalination technology offers a scalable system that can cut the water production cost by more than 25%. It enables cost-cutting by energy savings and reducing outlay for equipment as well as maintenance. This technology is by the company Desalitech.
Reverse Osmosis Technology
ROTEC is a water treatment company that has developed technology for improving the desalination process of brackish groundwater. The company has used Flow Reversal technology to prevent scaling as well as bio-fouling. The use of technology helps in getting rid of the unwanted build-up of algae and different other microorganisms.
Water security
Israel is the world leader in water security because of its expertise in security as well as Israel’s water technology. The technology helps the government, municipalities, as well as water utilities to secure their water from all types of accidental and intentional contamination threats.
A company named WaterWall water security management offers holistic solutions for water security that are tailor-made for each consumer. The company combines cutting edge technology and its expertise in water security issues. The company also works as a consultant to the United Nations to frame the water security guidelines.
The step taken by Israel with regard to water technology know-how will help in getting leadership position in the global market.
Famous water technology by Israel
Different companies and entrepreneurs in Israel are actively engaged in water technology R&D. In fact, many startups and government initiatives are also deeply engaged in the promotion of water technology in Israel.
Different types of innovations also take place at Universities in Israel. Some of the major water technologies by Israel include:
- Aqua Digital: This is a digital solution that helps in monitoring and the flow rates in the water system in Israel.
- Aquarius Spectrum: The system helps in detecting water leaks in the municipal water system. Citizens will get an online monitoring system that works as per innovative algorithms and signal processing.
- Evina Biotech: The company offers biotechnological solutions that help filter different byproducts of chlorine present in water.
- Cool Tek-2-Go: The company offers on-demand water cooling as well as heating. The system is mostly used by soldiers, hikers, and other people who work outdoors.
- TACount: offers an amazing technology that can help detect microbial infection in water within seconds.
- Kolmir Water Technologies: The company offers ultrasonic technology for wastewater treatment. The technology also lowers the operating cost of the water treatment process.
- Diffusaire: The company provided an efficient aeration system for wastewater treatment. The company also offers citizens options to reduce power consumption and capital cost.
- HydroSpin: HydroSpin offers solutions based on a micro-generator that is put inside the water pipe. It helps supply electricity for water monitoring in areas where affordable energy solutions are not present.
- EcoChemTech: The company offers a multi-stage sedimentation process that helps in accelerating ROI in different desalination plants.
- SPC Tech: The company has come up with a smart pressure control protocol. The system relies on a two-stage pressure valve that helps in reducing all types of leakages.
- Elta Wireless Monitoring: This company has innovated a revolutionary monitoring system called remote valve monitoring. The vale monitor runs on wireless technology.
- PML (Particle Monitoring Technology): This technology helps in checking microbes and viruses in water. The laser-based technology helps in the automatic monitoring and differentiation of particles in water.
- Equalizer: The company provided software that enables accurate evaluation and prediction of all essential hydrological parameters in wells and aquifers.
Israel India cooperation on water technology and implementation in India
Even the most advanced countries of the world are astonished at Israel’s success in water technology innovation and implementation. Recently, India has called upon Israel to “Innovate together” when it comes to water technology.
Looking at Israel’s expertise in desalination, India is trying to get technological aid to desalinate coastal waters. India has more than 7500 km of coastline, and thus, it can use the different desalination programs to get potable water.
India and Israel have successful collaboration in different other areas like defense and security, and thus, water technology will open a new domain of partnership between these nations. The five key areas around which India will have partnership and cooperation with Israel water technology includes:
- Recycle and reuse water
- Water use efficiency
- Measurement and management of water
- Focus on technology
- Groundwater assessment and recharge
Israel has faced water shortage issues for decades, which has led to the development and innovation of the best Israel water technology. Despite being a water-scarce nation, Israel has made lots of technological development to eliminate water scarcity.
Even technologically advanced nations like the USA and China are interested in Israel’s water technology to get rid of looming water scarcity in the world. In a few years, the export of water technology from Israel can be expected.
With the world facing a huge water shortage, nations like Israel are becoming stalwarts in water conservation, reuse, and proper management of water resources.
The Israeli government and companies and corporations are innovating technologies and tactics that can help the world eliminate water scarcity. Today’s technological advancement will protect the world from the scarcity of water. The world should be thankful to Israel for the development and the implementation of Israel’s water technology.
