By LAURIE COPANS
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 19, 2008; 3:25 PM

JERUSALEM -- Israel is suffering its worst drought in a decade and will
have to stop pumping from one of its main sources of drinking water, the
Sea of Galilee, by the end of the summer, an official said Wednesday.

Water Authority spokesman Uri Schor said Israel must start pumping more
ground water from aquifers that are already depleted.

"The situation is very, very bad," Schor said. "As we pump more from the
aquifers, the quality of the water will go down."

Israel's water problem stems from population growth and rising
prosperity that has seen an increase in lawns and gardens, Schor said.
In addition, this winter was the fourth in a row in which Israel had low
rainfall, with only about 50-60 percent of the average in most areas, he
said.

Israel's rainy season ends this month and will not begin again until
October.

Water is a contentious issue in the dry region, and the subject of one
of the disputes Israeli and Palestinian peace negotiators.

Despite the shortage, Israel will probably not reduce the amount of
water supplied to Jordan according to a peace treaty between the
countries, Schor said. Jordan's drought is much worse than Israel's, he
said.

Israel has in recent weeks reduced the drinking water supplied to
farmers by more than 50 percent, increasing their need for recycled
water, Schor said. This weekend water officials will discuss raising the
cost of drinking water in an attempt to cut household use, he said.

Israel has two desalination plants that supply about one-third of water
needed by municipalities and households, Schor said. Three other plants,
scheduled to be completed by 2013, will double that amount. The next one
is due to be operational next year.

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