Mekorot Water Company
Israel's national water company and principal operator of the country's integrated water-supply system.
Last updated November 4, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Mekorot is Israel's national water company and the country's principal water-management agency. Established in 1937 as a pre-state water company, it developed from a collection of regional water projects into the operator of a nationwide system linking natural sources, aquifers, reservoirs, desalination plants, treatment facilities, reuse plants and long-distance pipelines. The company is closely associated with Israel's National Water Carrier, the infrastructure network that moves water between northern, central and southern parts of the country. Mekorot supplies approximately 80% of Israel's drinking water and about 65% of the country's overall water supply, according to descriptions of its operations. Its network serves households, agriculture and industrial customers, and the company also supplies water under political and governmental arrangements involving the Palestinian Authority and Jordan. The operating system includes roughly 13,000 kilometres of pipelines, about 3,000 production and supply facilities, approximately 1,200 water drillings, around 1,000 reservoirs and pools, and numerous desalination installations. Reported throughput exceeds 1.7 billion cubic metres of water a year, although operating figures vary by source and reporting period. The company manages a diversified water portfolio. Historically, the Sea of Galilee, aquifers and wells were central sources; more recently, seawater desalination, brackish-water treatment, wastewater recycling and floodwater capture have become increasingly important. Mekorot operates treatment and reuse facilities that support Israeli agriculture, as well as laboratories and monitoring systems intended to improve drinking-water quality. Its principal filtration plant at the Eshkol site treats water drawn from the Sea of Galilee before it enters the national distribution system. Mekorot's infrastructure role extends beyond physical delivery. Its activities include water-resource planning, bulk-water production, network operation, quality assurance, desalination, wastewater treatment, reuse, cybersecurity and digital control systems. Through the WaTech innovation centre, founded in 2004, the company works with technology startups, universities, investors and established suppliers, using parts of its network as testing or demonstration environments. The centre is intended both to modernize Mekorot's own operations and to support the export of Israeli water technology. The National Water Carrier has been progressively reconfigured as Israel's water balance changed. Expansion projects connected coastal desalination capacity with the national network, allowing desalinated water to be moved inland and, in some cases, northward toward the Sea of Galilee and communities in northern Israel. Major recent projects include the fifth water-supply system to Jerusalem and a flow-reversal project designed to distribute surplus desalinated water, reinforce northern supplies and help meet water commitments involving Jordan. Mekorot is a government-owned strategic infrastructure enterprise rather than a conventional consumer brand. Retail and bulk-water tariffs are regulated by Israel's Water Authority, with prices differentiated by customer category and periodically adjusted according to official cost indices. The company has also pursued international consulting, engineering and development contracts. Its international work has expanded in the Middle East and other markets, including projects or agreements reported in Bahrain, Jordan, Azerbaijan, France, Singapore, Morocco, Argentina, Chile and Italy. The company is also the subject of sustained political and human-rights criticism concerning water access in the West Bank and Gaza. Critics, including rights organizations and international observers, argue that Mekorot's control of infrastructure and its relationship with Israeli authorities contribute to unequal access between Israeli communities, settlements and Palestinians. Israeli authorities and the company present Mekorot as a national infrastructure operator working within governmental agreements and regulatory arrangements. These disputes form an important part of the brand's public profile alongside its engineering, reliability and water-security roles.
History
Mekorot was founded on 15 February 1937, before the establishment of the State of Israel, under the Hebrew name meaning approximately “Water Company.” Its founders were Levi Shkolnik, who later became Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, water engineer Simcha Blass, and Pinchas Koslovsky, later known as Pinhas Sapir. The enterprise was created to develop dependable water infrastructure for Jewish settlements and agricultural communities in Mandatory Palestine. Water development became a central element of the country's later economic and territorial planning, particularly because population growth, agriculture and settlement expansion were constrained by an uneven distribution of surface and groundwater. After Israel's establishment, Mekorot became the central national water utility. It consolidated and connected regional supply projects and assumed responsibility for infrastructure that moved water across political and geographic regions. The National Water Carrier became its defining undertaking. Running broadly from the Sea of Galilee in the north toward the Negev in the south, the carrier made it possible to distribute water beyond the areas where major natural sources were located. The system incorporated the Yarkon-Negev project and other regional works, helping form a unified national water network. Mekorot's role expanded from construction and bulk delivery into full water-resource management. The company developed wells and pumping stations, reservoirs, treatment facilities, laboratories, transmission pipelines and control systems. It drew on the Sea of Galilee, aquifers, boreholes, brackish sources and, later, seawater desalination. Wastewater treatment and agricultural reuse became increasingly important as Israel sought to reduce pressure on conventional freshwater sources. By the 2000s, Mekorot was operating a complex mix of natural-water, reclaimed-water and desalinated-water systems rather than relying on a single national source. In 2004 the company established WaTech, a technological entrepreneurship and partnership centre. The programme connected Mekorot with startups, academic institutions, investors and mature technology companies. Mekorot could act as an alpha, beta or demonstration site for water technologies involving treatment, monitoring, efficiency, automation and resource recovery. The initiative also supported the broader Israeli water-technology export sector and was intended to improve the company's own operational performance. Water quality became a major focus during the 2000s. Mekorot established a principal filtration plant at Eshkol in the Beit Netofa Valley for water taken from the Sea of Galilee before it entered the National Water Carrier. It also developed national laboratory and monitoring capabilities. These investments were associated with improved treatment and reduced reliance on chlorine for disinfection, although precise performance claims depend on the relevant technical and regulatory reporting period. From the 2000s onward, the National Water Carrier underwent a major modernization and expansion. The “New National Carrier” programme, developed across the 2004–2015 period, was designed to move water in multiple directions and incorporate coastal desalination into the national network. This represented a strategic change: instead of transferring mainly northern freshwater southward, the system could distribute desalinated water inland and northward according to demand and hydrological conditions. In 2007, Mekorot launched the National Filtration Plant at Eshkol, strengthening treatment capacity at a key junction in the system. Mekorot has also operated in the politically sensitive water systems of the West Bank and Gaza. In 1982, West Bank water infrastructure under Israeli military control was transferred to Mekorot. Critics argue that the company's wells, supply arrangements and dependence on Israeli governmental permits have contributed to disparities in Palestinian and Israeli access. They also point to the allocation of water to Israeli settlements and to Gaza supply interruptions during periods of conflict. Supporters of the existing arrangement describe Mekorot as an infrastructure operator implementing state policy and intergovernmental agreements. The issue remains a continuing subject of international criticism and dispute. The company entered a new phase of international activity after the Abraham Accords. It reported a Bahrain development contract in March 2021, work expanding water supply to Jordan in September 2021, and an agreement concerning Azerbaijan's water economy in April 2022. It has also reported agreements or memoranda involving countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. These activities reflect a shift from Mekorot's traditional identity as a domestic utility toward a hybrid role combining national infrastructure operation with international water engineering, advisory and technology services. Recent national projects have continued to adapt the network to urban growth and changing water sources. A fifth water-supply system to Jerusalem was inaugurated in 2022 to increase regional capacity. In 2023, a flow-reversal project was launched to send surplus desalinated water toward the Sea of Galilee and northern communities while supporting water commitments to Jordan. Alongside physical construction, Mekorot has pursued digitization, integrated information and operational technology, cybersecurity, paperless workflows and fiber-optic communications infrastructure associated with its pipeline network. Mekorot remains a government-owned strategic utility. Bulk-water pricing is determined by the Water Authority rather than by ordinary brand-level consumer pricing decisions. The company has reported strong domestic credit standing and, in 2019, raised capital through tradable bonds. Its present identity combines national water security, regulated public-service delivery, infrastructure engineering, treatment and reuse, digital utility management, and international commercialization of water expertise.
- 2023
National Carrier flow-reversal project launches
[1]The project is designed to move surplus desalinated water northward, reinforce the Sea of Galilee and support northern communities and Jordan-related commitments.
- 2022
Fifth water-supply system to Jerusalem is inaugurated
[1]A new system is opened to increase supply capacity for Jerusalem and surrounding communities.
- 2022
Azerbaijan water-development agreement is signed
[1]Mekorot expands its international water-management and infrastructure activity through an agreement concerning Azerbaijan.
- 2021
International expansion in Bahrain and Jordan
[1]The company reports a Bahrain development contract and completion of a project to expand water supply to Jordan.
- 2019
First reported tradable bond issuance
[1]Mekorot raises capital through tradable bonds on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange while remaining government-owned.
- 2015
New National Carrier programme reaches a major completion phase
[1]The reported 2004–2015 carrier programme expands national integration of desalination and long-distance water transfer.
- 2007
Eshkol National Filtration Plant is launched
[1]Mekorot commissions the main filtration plant at Eshkol to improve treatment of Sea of Galilee water before distribution through the national system.
- 2004
WaTech innovation centre is founded
[1]Mekorot creates a platform for collaboration with water-technology startups, academia, investors and established companies.
- 2004
New National Carrier programme begins
[1]A modernization and expansion programme begins to create a more flexible national network capable of moving desalinated water in multiple directions.
- 1982
West Bank water infrastructure is transferred to Mekorot
[1]Water infrastructure in the West Bank under Israeli control is placed under Mekorot's operational role, a decision that later becomes central to political and human-rights criticism.
Products and positioning
A government-owned strategic water utility positioned around national water security, integrated resource management, infrastructure reliability, advanced treatment, desalination, recycling and exportable water expertise.
Water transportation infrastructure
National Water Carrier
Mekorot's flagship transmission system links northern, central and southern Israel. Originally centered on moving water from the Sea of Galilee toward the Negev, it has been expanded and reconfigured to integrate coastal desalination, regional reservoirs and reverse-flow capabilities. The carrier is the backbone of national bulk-water distribution rather than a retail consumer product.
Utility service · 1937
Bulk water supply
Mekorot produces and delivers bulk water to households through local utilities, agricultural users, industrial facilities and public-sector customers. Supply is assembled from surface water, groundwater, desalinated seawater and treated sources, then moved through a nationwide network under regulatory and political arrangements.
Water treatment
Desalination and desalinated-water integration
The company operates and integrates desalination facilities into the national water system, including plants producing desalinated seawater and facilities in arid areas. Desalination allows supply planning to rely less heavily on rainfall and natural freshwater sources, while the national network distributes the resulting water according to regional demand.
Water treatment · 2007
Water treatment and quality monitoring
Mekorot operates filtration, treatment and laboratory infrastructure, including the principal Eshkol filtration plant and a national laboratory function. These capabilities support treatment of surface water and groundwater, quality testing, operational monitoring and compliance with drinking-water requirements.
Water recycling
Wastewater reuse
Mekorot operates wastewater-treatment and reuse facilities that provide reclaimed water, particularly for agriculture. Recycling reduces demand on potable sources and forms part of the company's integrated approach to managing Israel's limited water resources.
Water-technology innovation · 2004
WaTech
WaTech is Mekorot's innovation and collaboration platform for water technologies. It works with startups, universities, investors and established technology companies, and can provide operational sites for testing, validation and demonstration of technologies in treatment, monitoring, efficiency, automation and water security.
Controversies
Dispute over water access in the West Bank and Gaza
Human-rights organizations and international bodies have accused Mekorot and the Israeli water-governance system of contributing to unequal Palestinian and Israeli access to water. Criticism concerns infrastructure control, well locations, permit requirements, settlement supply and interruptions affecting Gaza. The allegations are politically contested and should be read alongside the company's role as an operator acting within Israeli state policy and intergovernmental arrangements.
Brand decisions
2023
Launch the National Carrier flow-reversal projectGeneration changeBackground
Surplus desalinated water created an opportunity to reinforce northern supplies and reduce pressure on the Sea of Galilee.
Action taken
Mekorot began a project to move desalinated water northward toward the Sea of Galilee and northern communities.
Aftermath
The project was intended to improve national balancing and support water commitments involving Jordan.
2022
Inaugurate the fifth water-supply system to JerusalemGeneration changeBackground
Population growth and future demand required additional supply capacity for Jerusalem and nearby communities.
Action taken
Mekorot inaugurated a fifth supply system serving Jerusalem and the surrounding area.
Aftermath
The project expanded regional resilience and capacity for future water demand.
2007
Launch the National Filtration PlantProduct launchBackground
Mekorot sought to improve treatment and quality control for Sea of Galilee water entering the national network.
Action taken
The company built and launched the main filtration plant at the Eshkol site.
Aftermath
The facility became a major treatment point in Israel's national water-supply system.
2004
Create the WaTech innovation platformStrategyBackground
Mekorot sought to improve water-system efficiency and strengthen Israel's water-technology export capacity.
Action taken
The company established WaTech to collaborate with startups, academia, investors and established technology firms.
Aftermath
WaTech became a channel for technology testing and demonstration within Mekorot's operating environment.
2004
Modernize the National Water CarrierStrategyBackground
Growing demand and the rise of coastal desalination required a more flexible national distribution system.
Action taken
Mekorot developed the New National Carrier programme to connect desalination capacity and enable multidirectional water transfer.
Aftermath
The programme, reported as spanning 2004–2015, increased the network's ability to balance regional supply and demand.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/mekorot-water-company-ltd · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled