Infrastructure

Water Authority Approves 15% Emergency Freshwater Increase for Farmers

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Courtroom-sketch editorial illustration of a farmer carrying irrigation pipes across a green field beneath a center-pivot irrigation system spraying water, drawn in warm ochre and slate-blue pastel with cross-hatching on sepia newsprint.

Israel’s Water Authority Council unanimously approved a measure allowing suppliers to provide farmers up to 15% more freshwater than their licensed 2026 quotas, subject to available sources and infrastructure. The decision follows severe drought and a cut in the national agricultural freshwater allocation from about 380 million cubic meters in 2025 to 290 million in 2026. The Agriculture Ministry received 308 requests seeking 35.8 million cubic meters and mapped about 16 million cubic meters in allocation distortions. Additional supply currently carries the excess-use tariff, while ministries examine options to provide at least part at ordinary rates.

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