Israel (coastal plain)
#00208
SuccessNational
Case study of
#00196 Large-scale desalination sized as drought insurance
Implementer
Israel Water Authority with private BOT concessionaires
Timeline
Since Jan 1, 2005
Location
Israel (coastal plain)31.9500, 34.7400
Description
Israel built five-plus mega SWRO plants from 2005 onward, now supplying roughly 80–90% of municipal freshwater. Competitive BOT tenders with private concessionaires drove world-record low prices (Sorek B at ~$0.41/m³). Desalination is paired with ~87–90% reuse of treated wastewater for agriculture, so the two circular supplies reinforce each other. The system's surplus allows water exports to Jordan and refilling of the Sea of Galilee.
Metrics
3Share of municipal freshwater from desalination~80-90%% of supply
Record tender price (Sorek B)~0.41USD/m3
Treated wastewater reused for agriculture~87-90%% of wastewater
Funding
Competitive build-operate-transfer tenders with private finance
Lessons learned
- Competitive BOT tenders, not technology choice, drove desalinated water to record low prices — procurement structure is the key lever.
- Desalination achieves maximum impact when paired with near-total wastewater reuse for agriculture (~87–90%), freeing fresh water for cities.
- Concentrating national supply in a few coastal plants creates energy-intensity, brine-discharge, and wartime-vulnerability exposure that must be explicitly planned for at the design stage.
Documented Jul 24, 2026