Israel Water Authority, ministry: Petrol pollution could affect drinking water

As the records of the Water Authority and the Environmental Protection Ministry demonstrate, pollution from petrol stations and storage facilities has in the past years constituted an increasing environmental concern. The Water Authority has recently released alarming data, suggesting the problem might affect Israel's drinking water.

The good news, however, is that at the same time, the relevant parties have stepped up their efforts to contain the problem and counter pollution. The largest of Israel's petrol companies, Paz, has even agreed to initiate a treatment program for all stations posing an environmental threat.

Last month, during the annual conference of the Israel Water Association, the organization presented alarming data concerning petrol pollution in drinking water. The data, collected by the association's Water Quality Branch, pertained to 63 water reservoirs and sites. Forty-seven of them were found to contain varying levels of pollution. Last year, only 13 sites were surveyed. Ten were found to be polluted.