Mekorot

Mekorot (מקורות, lit. "Sources") is the national water company of Israel and the country's top agency for water management. Founded in 1937, it supplies Israel with approx. 80% of its drinking water and operates a cross-country water supply network known as the National Water Carrier. Mekorot and its subsidiaries have partnered with numerous countries around the world in areas including desalination and water management.

History
Mekorot was established as the "Ḥevrat ha-Mayim" ('Water Company') on 15 February 1937 by Levi Shkolnik (later Eshkol, Prime Minister of Israel between 1963-1969), water engineer Simcha Blass, and Pinchas Koslovsky (later Sapir, Minister of Finance between 1963-1968).

Water supply system
Mekorot supplies approx. 80% of Israel's drinking water and approx. 65% of its water supplies. Mekorot supplies over 1.7 billion cubic meters of water to homes, agricultural fields, & industrial plants throughout Israel. The company provides water & services to the private & public sectors in Israel & to the Palestinian Authority & the Kingdom of Jordan, through political agreements. The company operates about 13,000 km of pipelines, 3,000 production & supply facilities, 1,200 drillings, 1,000 water reservoirs & pools and 20 desalination facilities. The company has accumulated investments of NIS 1.5-2 billion per year, & a three-year development plan.

Mekorot's water supply system unifies most of the regional water plants, the National Water Carrier and Yarkon-Negev plant, and draws water from the Sea of Galilee, aquifers, boreholes, seawater, desalinated water, and brackish water.

2004 - Establishment of the WaTech technological entrepreneurship center

For technological entrepreneurship and collaborations between Mekorot and start-up companies, entrepreneurs, academia and investors in the field of water technologies in Israel and around the world. As of 2024, Mekorot has contracted with nearly 10 startups and operates R&D centers in the water field.

National Water Carrier
Mekorot's National Water Carrier, known in Hebrew as Hamovil ha'artzi, runs from Lake Kinneret (also known as The Sea of Galilee) in the north to the northern Negev Desert in the south. The system has been expanded to pipe water from desalination plants on the Mediterranean coast.

Groundbreaking national project for transferring water throughout Israel, in all directions and collecting water from desalination facilities that were established along the coastal strip in the west of the country, to cope with the increased demand for water in the country.

2004-2015 – The New National Carrier
Groundbreaking national project for transferring water throughout the country, in all directions and collecting water from desalination facilities that were established along the coastal strip in the west of

the country, to cope with the increased demand for water in the country.

2007 – Launching of the National Filtration Plant

As part of its commitment to water quality, Mekorot builds the main filtration plant at the Eshkol site in the Beit Natofa Valley to improve the water of the Sea of Galilee before its flows into the National Carrier pipeline system.

2022 - Inauguration of the fifth water supply system to Jerusalem

Inaugurated with the aim of expanding the scope of water supply to Jerusalem and the surrounding towns, including meeting future water needs in the region.

2023 - Launching of the National Carrier Flow Reversal Project

Delivery of surplus desalinated water to their destinations: strengthening the  Sea of Galilee, increasing water supply to northern towns and continued compliance with Israel’s obligations to Jordan in the east.

Water Tariffs
Water tariffs are set by the Water Authority. Tariffs are updated every six months according to changes in the Consumer Price Index, electricity rates and the average wage index. The rates vary according to use: domestic, consumption and services, industry and agriculture. Rates for industrial and agricultural use are lower than those for domestic consumption and services. The bulk water tariff is the same throughout the country, regardless of the difference in supply costs.

Water Treatment
In 2008, Mekorot established a central water filtering plant for water pumped from Lake Kinneret (The Sea Of Galilee). The company also improved quality control. As a result, water quality has improved and less chlorine is added to the water as a disinfecting agent. During the years Mekorot established at the site the National Laboratory, which can assist and monitor water quality.

Mekorot’s operations achieved maximum utilization of the mix of water resources through various means. In the field of Desalination Mekorot supplies desalinated seawater, and operates 23 desalination facilities, including in the desert, which produce more than one million cubic meters of desalinated water a day.

In the field of water recycling, the company operates nine waste treatment and water reuse facilities, which provide 85% of the water for Israel’s agriculture. In addition, the company operates more than 1,000 wells nationwide, some of which reach the depth of up to 1.5 km, to produce water from aquifers and treat it for drinking and agriculture. In other areas of Israel, Mekorot developed innovative technologies for capturing floodwater in different geographical regions.

Integrated Water Solutions
The company provides an integrated package of water solutions, thanks to the company’s specialization in a wide range of areas, including advanced models for water management & operation, the optimal combination of different water types, seawater & water desalination, wastewater processing & water recycling for agricultural uses, improving water resources to the proper quality, security of water sources & more.

Innovation & Digitization
Mekorot uses advanced technologies such as IT & OT & through them implements a comprehensive digital transformation of processes, in favor of fast, efficient, & secure flow of professional-business information, beyond paperless online work, & protection against cyber & other attacks on critical infrastructures, like information infrastructure. Moreover, the company continues to implement innovative water technologies, i.e. the deployment of a fiberoptic network in its water piping, while carrying high speed communications throughout Israel.

International Activities
The “Abraham Agreements” signing opened a new business horizon for the company - in March 2021, Mekorot became the first government company in the infrastructure field operating in the Persian Gulf, signing a development contract with the Kingdom of Bahrain. In September 2021 the company completed the doubling of the water supply to the Kingdom of Jordan, & in April 2022 signed an agreement for the development of the water economy in Azerbaijan. Since then, the company signed agreements and memorandum of understandings in several countries, including France, Singapore, Morocco, Argentina, Chile and Italy.

Financial Stability
Since 2003, Mekorot has been ranked consistently in the highest financial strength rating (ilAAA) by the international rating company Maalot Standard & Poor’s. In 2019, Mekorot was listed at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, after raising its first capital in the company’s history by issuing tradable bonds, accompanied by the publication of a prospectus. To date, the company has raised over NIS 5 billion while maintaining its high credit rating.

List of CEO's
Mekorot's CEO is Amit Lang, The chairman of the board is Yitzhak Aharonovich.