Jerusalem, 5 March, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel has begun pumping desalinated seawater into the Sea of Galilee, the country’s only natural freshwater reservoir, in a historic effort to safeguard its water supply amid prolonged drought and climate challenges on Wednesday. The project marks the first time anywhere in the world that desalinated seawater has been directed into a freshwater lake.
The initiative, known as the “Reverse Carrier,” inverts the flow of Israel’s traditional National Water Carrier system. While the original network, inaugurated in 1964, transported water from the Sea of Galilee — also known as Lake Kinneret — to central and southern Israel, the new project moves water from the Mediterranean northward to the lake. Pumping began on a small scale in September 2025.
At the new rate, the discharge of desalinated water will raise the Sea of Galilee by 3–4 cm by Independence Day. From October through the end of the year, an additional 7–8 cm is expected, bringing the total annual increase in the lake’s level to approximately 9–10 cm.
“The discharge of desalinated water into the Sea of Galilee is a truly historic move. After we became world leaders in water technologies and established the best desalination facilities, it is time to give back to the Sea of Galilee that we all love,” said Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Eli Cohen.
Construction of the pipeline began in 2018 and was completed in 2022 at a cost of roughly NIS 900 million ($292 million).
Pumping desalinated water into freshwater lakes has rarely been attempted due to significant ecological, technical, and economic challenges. Freshwater ecosystems are delicate, and even clean desalinated water can alter salinity, pH, and nutrient balances, potentially disrupting fish, plants, and microorganisms. Delivering the large volumes required over long distances is technically complex, demanding extensive pipelines, pumping stations, and flow-control systems.
In addition, desalinated water is expensive to produce, making its use for lake replenishment historically seen as economically inefficient compared with supplying drinking water or agriculture.
Mekorot Deputy CEO Danny Sofer said the move carries both operational and strategic significance. “This allows the levels in the national lake to be maintained. It preserves the status of the Sea of Galilee not only as a national symbol and scenic tourist destination, but also as a central infrastructure anchor in Israel’s water security system,” Sofer said.
“The Sea of Galilee is our strategic national asset, and we are working to ensure its preservation,” Water Authority Director Yehezkel Lipshitz said. “Increasing the flow of desalinated water into the Sea of Galilee is an important step in ensuring the State of Israel’s water security for years to come.”