Mekorot lays desalination plants pipeline

Mekorot pipeline Photo: PR
Mekorot pipeline Photo: PR

This complex and huge pipeline is part of a project to connect all Israel's desalination plants to the national water system.

Israel's Mekorot National Water Company is currently working to lay a particularly complex water line with a diameter of over 2.5m and length of 10km, which will connect the Soreq and Palmachim desalination plants to the Ashdod plant. It will be part of an extensive NIS 3 billion project which will connect the desalination plants, from Ashkelon to Hadera, to the new national water system.

The conduit, passing along the western side of Road 4, will be built over three years at an overall cost of NIS 230 million, crossing tunnels in the Palmachim and Nahal Soreq road, all in close coordination with Israel's Natural Gas Lines and other entities.

The water line will be capable of supplying 30,000 cubic meters per hour, the daily consumption of a city the size of Holon, with water from the new desalination plants in western Israel.

Mekorot Project Manager Ronit Alkalay says, "When we began planning the water line, we had an extremely narrow strip to lay it in. Road 4 is east of this strip, with a nearby line of power poles, a nature reserve and a military base. We had to go into this narrow strip with our pipeline, alongside an 18' gas pipe and other nearby infrastructure, such as Bezeq, Hot and Mey Yavne. We started with a joint master plan, together with the Gas Lines company and we also had to move some of the Shafdan wastewater treatment plant lines, located a bit to the west or the east, in order to lay all the infrastructure.

"We lay our pipeline near an active gas line in full cooperation with Israel's Natural Gas Lines and we are very proud of having reached a situation in which we completely integrate our infrastructure including restoration coordinated with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority."

Alkalay adds, "The entire water supply system of the Soreq and Palmachim desalination plants will be connected to these pipelines and this water could be directed to the south, towards the Hafetz Haim reservoir and Jerusalem or to the north during the winter."

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 25, 2016

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2016

Mekorot pipeline Photo: PR
Mekorot pipeline Photo: PR
Twitter Facebook Linkedin RSS Newsletters גלובס Israel Business Conference 2018