'Israel missing 2B cubic meters of water'
Climate, water experts say that winter rains still far from helping alleviate Lake Kinneret's water plight as its levels sink 70 cm under Low Red Line
Climate experts were quoted as saying last week that while November help hope for a wet winter, December has proven to be "nearly bone-dry so far," effectively rendering the previous months' gain.
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Lake Kinneret's water level is currently 70 centimeters below the Low Red Line and 4.9 meters below its maximum capacity, meaning Israel is missing about two billion cubic meters of water.
According to the Israel Weather Service's (IWS) long-term forecasts the coming winter's rainfall is expected to be lower than average.
The IWS said that after a sever-year streak of dry winters, Israel's water reserves are virtually none-existent.
Meanwhile, Israel's national water company signed a financing agreement to build a desalination plant, which officials said could allow Israel not only to meet its own water needs, but to also export water to its neighbors.
The project is meant to become operational in 2013.