The chance that clean water will once again flow in Israel's streams instead of purified waste seems so unlikely that even the recent promise of a governmental body to do exactly this in the case of the Yarkon has not persuaded the bodies involved in rehabilitating the river.

These groups are concerned over the increased use of fresh water in times of drought and prefer to base the water supply to the Yarkon on purified waste water.

The Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority (INNPPA) wants to see fresh water flow through the Yarkon, as was recently proposed by experts in the National Water Authority. However, the Yarkon Stream Authority (YSA) wants to stick to the plan of using purified waste water in the river. It says this is the only practicable plan, and is in keeping with a cabinet decision to channel mostly purified waste water into the stream.

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According to the YSA proposal, a small amount of fresh water will flow through the eastern part of the stream, which will be pumped back to reflow through the stream. At certain points of the stream highly purified waste water will be directed into it from the area of the Sharon. This water will be collected and pumped at the Ganei Yehoshua Park and will be used to irrigate parks and agriculture.

A few months ago, experts at the National Water Authority recommended channeling larger quantities of fresh water all along the Yarkon and diverted purified waste water to other locations for agricultural irrigation. According to the new proposal the quantity of fresh water (ground water) will be increased from 3.5 million cubic meters a year to 12 million cubic meters. In the future, this amount will increase further, reaching one-tenth of the natural flow of the Yarkon in the past. This is the government's rehabilitation goal.

Ostensibly, the YSA should enthusiastically support a proposal to replace purified waste water with clean water. However, the Environmental Protection Ministry and the director of the YSA, Dr. David Pergament, are concerned that unfresh water will be available for rehabilitation, and the purified waste water will also not be available.

"There has been a water shortage in the country for years, and if there is another drought, fresh water allocation to the streams will be cut," Gil Yaniv, deputy director general of the Environmental Protection Ministry and chairman of the YSA, says. "We are working to purify the water to such an extent that there will be no significant differences between it and fresh water. This is a chance for wise and thrifty use of water."

The chief scientist of the INNPPA, Dr. Yehoshua Shkedi, is not certain how the reflow of small amounts of fresh water will help nature. The INNPPA therefore prefers a permanent flow of a larger amount of fresh water in the eastern part of the stream.

"Israel's streams are turning into sewage channels and now the body responsible for water in Israel is proposing the rehabilitation of the ecological system by means of fresh water," Nissim Keshet, the head of the Science Division in the Environment Branch of the INNPPA, said. "This is a vision we have been trying to realize, and now we have a chance to do it," he added.

The head of the National Water Authority, Professor Uri Shani, who said there are no significant differences between the alternatives, wants the YSA to decide which alternative to advance. The YSA decision to go with the original plan might encounter difficulties with the INNPPA, the statutory authority in charge of the Yarkon National Park, extending along a large part of the eastern segment of the Yarkon Stream.

In recent months a compromise has been sought based on an idea by engineer Ilan Halvitz, who suggested channeling fresh water in the eastern part of the stream, pumping it back down stream, and allowing it to sink back into the water table at a nearby quarry. Thus the fresh water can be used without being lost, and treated water can be used as planned in other parts of the stream. This proposal has not been brought before the National Water Authority. Meanwhile the debate continues. INNPPA director general Eli Amitai said this week that if no agreement is reached, the INNPPA will not allow the plan to proceed.