Israel Begins World-First Project to Replenish Sea of Galilee with Desalinated Water

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – For the first time worldwide, desalinated seawater is being pumped into a freshwater lake, as Israel launches full-scale operation of its “Reverse Carrier” project, transferring Mediterranean water into the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret) to safeguard the nation’s long-term water security.

“The Kinneret is our national reservoir. Israel does not have many natural water sources, so this lake is of tremendous importance – both emotionally and strategically,” said Israel Water Authority Director General Yechezkel Lifshitz. “Historically it has been a vital source of drinking water, and even today it remains a strategic national reserve.”

The $269 million initiative, inaugurated in 2022 after four years of construction, mirrors Israel’s National Water Carrier — first completed in 1994 — but in reverse. Instead of conveying Kinneret water southward, the new system channels desalinated seawater from Mediterranean plants in Ashdod, Hadera, and other sites back into the lake.

Following Israel’s driest winter in a century, pumping began at full scale this month after the Kinneret reached its critical “red line.” Desalinated water now flows continuously into the lake via the Zalmon Stream, reviving the previously dry streambed. Current pumping averages 1,000 liters per second, with plans to reach 5,000 cubic meters per hour by late October, amounting to tens of millions of cubic meters throughout autumn and winter.

Lifshitz emphasized that the water being added is even higher in quality than the lake’s natural supply, posing no expected harm to the ecosystem. “The desalination technology itself is not new; the innovation lies in the concept. We view nature not only as a supplier of water but also as a consumer of water. This is a unique approach: actively providing water back to nature from our desalination facilities.”

Freshwater replenishment projects of this kind have rarely been attempted globally, given the ecological, technical, and economic hurdles. Even clean desalinated water can affect salinity and nutrient balances in delicate lake ecosystems. Large-scale delivery over distances of 100-150 kilometers requires extensive pipelines, pumping stations, and monitoring systems, while desalination itself remains costly.

Despite these challenges, officials argue that climate realities leave no choice. “We anticipate a decline in rainfall across the Middle East, particularly in northern Israel,” Lifshitz said. “It is essential to maintain a high water level in the Kinneret to preserve it both as a natural asset and as a strategic reservoir. Israel’s water sector plans decades ahead; we already have a master plan extending to 2075.”

The Kinneret has long been Israel’s most important natural water source, fed primarily by the Upper Jordan River system, with tributaries rising in the Galilee and Golan Heights. From its southern outlet, the Jordan River continues to the Dead Sea. Officials say the new project ensures the Sea of Galilee remains viable as both a national treasure and a vital buffer against future drought.

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