Water quality damaged by "horrific" pollution in Israel

A batch of water wells have been closed in the Ramat HaSharon region of Israel due to a leak from a military holding.

Rocket fuel and explosive components from the Israel Military Industries plant in the city have seeped into an aquifier in what is being called the worst instance of water pollution in the country's history.

The Water Authority has suggested that some 16 sq km could be affected by the leak, which needs to be dealt with before contamination spreads to Tel Aviv and Herzliya.

Hundreds of millions of cubic metres of water could be affected if the pollution spreads any further and the body has also warned that the level of contaminants is currently 1,000 times greater than US standards would allow.

Israel could follow in the footsteps of Chinese authorities, who have turned to algae-eating fish to help them fight pollution in Lake Tai, one of the nation's major water bodies, AFP recently reported.

Written by Joseph Hutton