At the moment, Israel's rivers are still polluted, but there is movement happening now to end pollution. After more than 10 years of repeated delays and arguments, authorities have finally begun building the Bitanya Waste Treatment Plant. When it is finished in about three years, the plan will clean wastewater from the Jordan Valley Regional Council and the city of Tiberias (which currently sends its wastewater into the Southern Jordan, contaminating both the river and its surrounding land). 

Also along the Jordan River, the Beit Shean Treatment Plant is now working! Construction of the 50 million NIS plant was completed a year ago and it now treats a portion of sewage from the Beit She'an Valley Regional Council. The plant does not handle sewage from the city of Beit Shean or the Gilboa Regional Council, who have not yet completed the construction of their sewer system. These authorities continue to pollute the river as before. Journalists have turned to the head of the Gilboa Regional Council, Danny Atar, to determine the reasons for non-completion of the sewage pipe and have been completely ignored.  

The polluters of the Hadera River, the most polluted river in Israel, have started to get on the right track. Following the intervention of the Interior Ministry's Haifa District, the Water Authority undertook to help the Baka-Al-Garbia/Jatt Council implement their multi-million shekel water treatment plant that was finished over a year ago and has yet to begin running. The Hadera Municipality has also pledged to accept responsibility for the river.  

After six months of the campaign, we can only repeat our belief that the continued pollution of Israel's rivers is a direct result of the failure of local authorities and national government offices and is intolerable and unforgivable.  

Recently, the Ministry of Environment filed a lawsuit against Jordan Valley Regional Council Head, Danny Vardi, following years of neglecting wastewater treatment. Similar threats to other contaminating mayors may convince them to take responsibility for the rivers in their area and stop the pollution. We must remember that clean rivers are not a privilege, but a right and that the pollution of rivers is prohibited by law. The time has come for the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Water Authority to prosecute anyone who breaks this law, including farmers, factories, local authorities and municipalities.