Five Israeli desalination plants shut amid algae crisis

Five of Israel's six large Mediterranean desalination plants remained offline Tuesday, Mekorot reported, after a microalgae bloom drifting from Egypt's Nile Delta fouled coastal waters with sediment and algae. The national water company said it is compensating by drawing more heavily on the Kinneret and older wells to keep household taps running. But farms in the south, particularly around Nitzana near the Egyptian border, have seen freshwater supplies sharply cut. Mekorot said it is delivering only 300-500 cubic meters of water per hour to the area, far short of the 1,500 needed, putting roughly 20,000 dunams of vegetable crops at risk. Officials say the disruption traces directly to conditions originating outside Israel's borders.