JNS
Danny Lacker, head of water security at the Israel Water Authority, tells JNS about the ongoing battle to safeguard the nation's critical lifeline.
From desalination plants on the Mediterranean coast to underground reservoirs and pipelines stretching across the country, Israel’s water system has become one of the most heavily protected civilian infrastructures in the world.
At the center of that formidable task is Col. (res.) Danny Lacker, head of the water security, emergency and cyber division at the Israel Water Authority. Lacker oversees national planning to protect Israel’s water from terrorism, cyber sabotage, energy collapse and natural disasters—threats that have only intensified since Oct. 7, 2023.
“Every water facility in Israel depends on electricity,” Lacker told JNS in an exclusive interview in his office at the end of November. “Desalination alone uses about half a percent of the country’s total power supply. If the power goes down, everything is at risk. That’s why emergency generators across the system are absolutely critical.”
Israel operates desalination plants across the country, with major new facilities under construction, each costing hundreds of millions of dollars and contracted under long-term build-operate-transfer agreements. Though privately built, Israel’s water infrastructure is regulated by the state, with all funding ultimately coming from water tariffs paid by consumers.
“All of Israel’s water security is paid for by the public,” Lacker said. “The government doesn’t directly fund it. That’s why efficiency, reliability and resilience are not luxuries—they are necessities.”
Preparing for the worst
Among the most dangerous scenarios Israel plans for is a major earthquake.
“In one second, half a million people could find themselves disconnected from water,” Lacker said. “Pipes could crack, reservoirs could collapse, sewage could mix with drinking water. That is our worst-case civilian disaster scenario.”
The second major danger is terror-driven contamination. “Even a small contamination attempt has an enormous psychological impact,” Lacker said. “If people think their water is unsafe, panic spreads instantly.”
Israel’s protective systems include layered physical security, advanced chemical detection, real-time water quality monitoring and automated shutdown capabilities. Some sites even use bio-detection through fish behavior analysis to identify sudden changes in water composition.
In parallel, Israel has built a nationwide emergency water reserve capable of supplying hundreds of thousands of civilians with alternative water and temporary sewage systems if core infrastructure fails.
Cyber war over water
The cyber battlefield may now pose the most constant threat.
“We are under daily cyberattack,” Lacker said. “Sometimes it’s criminals looking for ransom. Sometimes it's state-backed actors. Sometimes it’s just a teenager trying to prove he can hack Jerusalem’s water systems.”
During the recent war, hostile cyber forces attempted repeatedly to manipulate chlorine levels, disrupt water flow and create panic through false online videos claiming successful contamination.
“They wanted to create fear more than damage,” he said. “And sometimes they succeeded in frightening people—even when no physical damage occurred.”
To counter this, Israel operates a centralized Water Security Operations Center that monitors desalination plants, purification systems and recycling facilities nationwide in real time. The center integrates cyber experts with physical security, emergency teams and engineers.
“We don’t just regulate from afar,” Lacker said. “We sit with the operators in real time. If one facility is attacked, the entire country responds within seconds.”
Judea and Samaria: A complex water battlefield
Water security challenges grow even more complicated in Judea and Samaria, where infrastructure often crosses political and security boundaries.
“Jewish communities and Arab villages frequently share the same pipelines,” Lacker said. “It’s not a matter of politics—it’s a single system.”
Illegal water siphoning remains a constant problem, particularly during summer peaks, when agricultural theft drains supply from civilian networks. Military and water authority teams engage in continuous detection efforts, but unauthorized hookups often reappear within days.
Meanwhile, contaminated sewage and neglected infrastructure create chronic health risks that spill across borders.
“Water doesn’t respect political lines,” Lacker said. “That’s why engineering reality often collides with political constraints.”
Global leadership through crisis
Israel’s water security expertise is now in demand worldwide. In recent years, Israel has dispatched emergency water teams to disaster zones in the United States, the Bahamas and elsewhere to restore contaminated systems and establish emergency supply networks.
“After Hurricane Sandy, after floods in the Caribbean, after contamination events—Israel was there,” Lacker said. “We don’t just bring equipment. We bring experience.”
Israel also supplies Jordan with some 60 million cubic meters of water annually as part of peace agreements.
“In water, cooperation saves lives,” he said. “Even in a region of war, water creates quiet stability.”
Looking ahead, Lacker believes Israel’s greatest advantage remains its ability to improvise under pressure.
“We don’t think in rigid procedures,” he said. “We think in solutions. That’s why Israel leads in water technology, security and emergency response.”
As the region remains on edge, Israel’s water defenders continue working far from public view, guarding the most basic necessity of life.
“When missiles fly, water still must flow,” Lacker said. “That’s our mission.
