Drought: Israeli Water Experts to Aid California

Israeli water technology experts will help California navigate through its worst drought in history.

According to Ynet News, several Israeli water technology firms are already competing for contracts in the Golden State.

“We signed an agreement with Los Angeles, a city of seven million residents, on the subject of green technologies,” David Segel, the Israeli consul in Southern California, told Ynet. “We’re bringing water specialists from Israel for discussions with legislatures and we’re conducting conference calls with experts in Israel.”

“In the next few days, we expect to sign an agreement with the municipality of Beverly Hills,” Segel added.

As Breitbart News previously reported, California could learn a lot about combatting drought from the way Israel has handled its own water shortage problems.

Approximately 20 percent of all water used in the tiny Middle Eastern country comes from desalinated ocean water. The Sorek desalination facility, the largest desalination plant in the world, produces 40 billion gallons of potable water every year. The country currently produces 130 billion gallons of potable water per year, and reportedly wants to increase that number to 200 billion gallons by 2020.

But the country’s innovative solutions don’t stop at desalination; according to the New York Times, Israel treats 86 percent of its wastewater, recycling it for use in agriculture. Recycled wastewater reportedly makes up 55 percent of all water used on agriculture in the country; for comparison, the United States recycles and uses just 1 percent of its wastewater.

“We’re going from district to district,” Segel told Ynet of the Israeli companies already in California. “There’s a race to find water technology and our presence increases the chance of Israeli companies [having a part] in the fields of recycling, desalinization and saving water.”

Segel said that Israeli water companies could help California implement water-conservation methods never before attempted on a large scale in the state, like the reuse of greywater, or minimally contaminated water from households, on parks and plants.

Segel also said working that with California companies represents a “rare opportunity” to show Californians and other Americans the value of Israeli innovation and technology.

“American citizens aren’t interested in the Middle East, but they are interested in safety, cyber, energy, water, farming and health,” he told Ynet. “State governors come to Israel and find economic opportunity. The path is to connect to America in 50 states with 50 governors in areas that Israel can help them so that Americans will understand Israel’s importance in everyday life.”