Frequently Asked Questions About Drinking Water (2024)

• Improving the ability to work, study and concentrate
• Reducing obesity problems
• Preventing tooth decay
• High availability
• High sanitary quality and constant supervision
• Reducing transportation and the need to recycle bottles

The supply of drinking water is based on:

• Groundwater pumping (mountain and costal aquifer)
• Surface water (Kinneret, springs and streams)
• Desalinated seawater (Mediterranean, Red Sea)

Before supplying them, all the water is disinfected and treated to make sure it is suitable for safe drinking.

Drinking water supply in Israel is based on the pumping of underground water, surface water and sea water:

• The Coastal Aquifer - extends from the mountain edges to the Mediterranean.
• The Mountain Aquifer - located along the central mountain line from the Galilee to the Be’er Sheva Valley.
• The Kinneret - a natural surface lake receiving water from the Jordan River flows and from other streams in the collection basin.
• The Mediterranean and the Red Sea - constitute a source of raw water for desalination, turning them into drinking water.

These sources might be exposed to environmental pollutants. Underground water (water collected in the aquifers and pumped) are potentially exposed to petrol products, industrial pollutants, wastewater, and fertilizers and pesticides. Surface water (streams, reservoirs or the Kinneret) might also be exposed to contamination from industrial, touristic, urban and agricultural activity. Sea water might be exposed to pollutants that flow into the sea (such as wastewater) and petrol products. The factors being monitored in drinking water are substances naturally found in rocks and in the soil, and also environmental pollutants with the potential to penetrate the water.

The People’s Health Regulations (sanitary quality of drinking water and drinking fountains) include the requirement to regularly monitor approximately 120 environmental pollutants in the drinking water, which have a potential health effect. In addition, about 20 other factors are regularly monitored in the water, which have a potential organoleptic effect, and which typically do not affect health: they might affect the taste, smell, color or temperature of the water.

The substances found in the water can be divided according to their sources and effect on the health of those drinking the water:

• Micro-organisms - viruses, bacteria and intestinal parasites that are naturally found in water
• Micro-organisms - from a non-natural pollution source
• Natural substances - chemicals (metals, minerals, radiation components, algae toxins) that are naturally dissolved in water from rock layers
• Pesticides and pollutants of industrial source - chemicals used by man for industry and agriculture (metals, pesticides, industrial pollutants, radiation components), and which might contaminate drinking water sources and penetrate soil layers
• Sea salts and other salt water - when water is close to the sea or to underground salty water bodies, these might penetrate underground water
• Substances for water treatment - residues of substances and byproducts of water treatment processes

The Ministry of Health is responsible for ensuring water quality and is responsible for ensuring that the public receives safe drinking water, through the enforcement of regulations that are updated every few years.

In August 2013 , the latest update of the regulations came into force. Today, the regulations are among the advanced in the world and define, among other things, quality tests at the water source, treatment facilities and supply systems.

Every year, thousands of water quality tests are conducted in the country, the results of which are reported by the Ministry of Health and the water suppliers on the various websites.

There are regulations for guaranteeing the quality of drinking water, and the Ministry of Health makes sue to update these based on scientific development, accumulate knowledge, analytical developments and international legislation.

Water sources are tested in laboratory tests (for the detection of over 130 different components) before they are approved for supply as drinking water.

• A water source that fails to meet the quality or which has been contaminated, is disapproved and cannot be used for drinking water supply. Sometimes, the water source will be approved after the water underwent designated treatment to remove the pollutant.
• The water treatment plants are continuously monitored by measurement instruments and are routinely checked in laboratory tests according to the type of the treatment plant. The results of the tests are reported to the Ministry of Health.
• The supply systems (pipelines, reservoirs, water towers) are routinely monitored by the water suppliers and the tests’ results are also reported to the Ministry of Health.
• All the water supplied to the public are decontaminated with Chlorine. In addition, there residue Chlorine in the water is imperative in order to prevent the development of harmful bacteria.

The primary bacteria being monitored in the water systems and constitute indicators for the waters system’s condition, the water’s microbial quality and the risk for morbidity are: coliform bacteria, fecal coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli, fecal streptococci.

These bacteria are found in the digestive systems of humans and warm blooded animals and when they are present in the water it suggests potential fecal pollution.

The standard sets a concentration which does not pose a significant health risk under daily exposure throughout a person’s lifetime, including in vulnerable groups (children, pregnant women, the chronically ill and the elderly). Long-term exposure is equivalent to 70 years of human life. The information on the health effects of different chemicals, which constitutes the basis for the drinking water standard, is borrowed from studies on human beings and lab animals.

Regarding most pollutants, the standard is based on the safe threshold of that pollutant, or on the “daily permitted level”. This calculated value includes “safety factors” which reflect the special sensitivity of children, pregnant women, the chronically ill and the elderly and takes into account existing gaps in knowledge. Regarding a number of pollutants without a threshold (cancerous substances), the standard is calculated as the value that exposure to which might cause one event of cancer in a population of 100,000 people, when the entire population drinks water with the same concentration throughout their lifetime. The value represents the maximum risks and takes uncertainty into account.

An update takes place once every ten years in Israel, as the first regulations were stipulated in 1974. According to the last regulations’ update, a consulting committee to the Ministry of Health will be formed, that will follow the recommendations and standards of international entities and other countries regarding the recommended quality for drinking water, and will review at least every four years, the need to update the regulations.

The regulations’ update incorporated monitoring of factors in the purpose of gathering data as background work towards a future regulation update in Israel. These are factors without global regulation, hence maximum permitted concentrations for these factors have not been set. For example perchlorate, polyaromatic substances, intestinal parasites.

Sometimes, several pollutants in the same group in the regulations (such as industrial organic substances or pesticides) have a similar or cumulative effect. Therefore, the regulations stipulate the maximum permitted value for each pollutant separately and also require that the sum of the values of the measured factors (of the same group), divided by their maximum concentration values (“sum of ratios value”) will not exceed 1 or 1.5.

This means that if in a particular water source the concentration of each isolated pollutant does not exceed the maximum permitted concentration, but several pollutant are detected and each is in a concentration of over 50% above the standard, the water will be disapproved for drinking. Thus the regulations relate to the possibility of a cumulative effect by several pollutants.

Most potential pollutants might reach the water source from the environment, and therefore these factors are continuously monitored in the water sources, and if an abnormal factor is detected - the water source is disapproved. Alternatively - the water supplier will erect a water treatment plant to remove the pollutant from the source. The water runs in a closed system that is not exposed to environmental pollutants, only to the materials constructing the supply network.

These constructural materials might affect water quality. Thus, copper, lead and iron that might reach drinking water from pipelines and water devices are monitored. Beyond the responsibility lying with the water suppliers to install devices that meet the required standards, the public has the responsibility to guarantee that the pipelines and devices in their possession are compatible with the stipulations of the Israeli standard. It is recommended to make sure to install and use at home standard plumbing devices which meet the stipulations of Israeli Standard 5452. Under circ*mstances where there is a concern for plumbing quality (old building, non-standardized plumbing), it is advisable to perform a test of the network’s metals.

In order to reduce exposure to abnormal metal concentrations as much as possible, please find several tips:

• Avoid consumption of first water for drinking and cooking (including preparation of baby formula) after the water stood for some time, and allow the first water to run for several seconds.
• Avoid consumption of the hot water for drinking and cooking as much as possible.
• Avoid consumption of highly murky or colored water for drinking and cooking due to the possibility of the presence of metals. Usually, allowing the water to run a little refreshes the water in the system and fresh water arrives.

The Ministry of Health recommends drinking tap water. Tap water in Israel is everywhere safe for drinking. If, despite this, you have decided to install a water treatment device in your home or place of business, make sure that:

• The device meets the Israeli Standard (Israeli Standard 1505)
• The device must be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions, including: replacement of filters and UV bulbs on time. (Failure to replace these on time and according to the manufacturer’s instructions might pose a health risk and a bed for bacteria proliferation).
• If the device includes chemicals, make sure they meet the Israeli Standard (Israeli Standard 5438).

Following these rules will prevent health risk.

• Tap water is safe for drinking. The water supply network is controlled and monitored by the water suppliers and supervised by the Ministry of Health.
• Home water treatment devices are not always regularly controlled and undergo maintenance.
• The filters of treatment devices with a filtering system might accumulate pollutants: solids, bacteria and chemicals. An incidental malfunction in the filters might cause these pollutants to penetrate (at high concentrations) the drinking water.
• Failure to maintain correct use and follow the manufacturer’s instructions might also result in water that is not safe for drinking.

We emphasize again that tap water in Israel are good and safe for drinking and home devices are unnecessary, but please find several guidelines nonetheless:

1. Only buy a device that meets the stipulations of Israeli standard number 1505: “home drinking water treatment systems - filtering and purification”.
2. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on maintenance, replacement of filters, bulbs etc.
3. Use of home device is allowed only when used on tap water of drinking water quality.
4. In the event of a drinking water contamination where the public (including those who have a home device) are required to follow the instructions of the Ministry of Health, such as boiling the water, contact the manufacturer and consult them whether maintenance actions or equipment replacement should be performed.
5. Please note that Israeli Standard number 1505 has been declared official, and therefore the sale and import of home treatment devices that do not meet the standard are prohibited. The Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Industry is responsible for the supervision and enforcement of this issue.

The Ministry of Health has issued Israeli Standard 5452 for materials and devices that come in contact with drinking water.

Make sure that the pipes and devices being installed meet this standard and that they are approved by the Standards Institution. The requirement is that the planning and instalment of the water system are made according to Israeli Standard 1205. The chemicals used for cleaning the plumbing are required to meet Israeli Standard 5438.

• The tank must be closed well, without the possibility of penetration by animals or foreign objects
• The tank will be locked, without access, except for the Home Committee or its representative
• The water tank’s surface shall be smooth and intact
• Perform cleaning and decontamination as necessary

• In a new building - after instalment and prior to use
• Following repairs or replacement of devices
• If a pollution was detected in the tank
• When the water has an organoplastic problem (murkiness, taste, odor, color)
• Once a year, according to Israeli Standard 1525.

On the Ministry of Health website, on the Water Authority website and on the websites of water suppliers.