Clean Water From a Dead Sea

A fresh glass of cool, clear water is a luxury in many places of the world. Consider, for example, the area of the Dead Sea, located in the southeastern part of Israel. It is one of the most unique places on earth. Since it is 1385 feet below sea level, it distinguishes itself as the lowest place on the surface of the earth. Water can’t escape except through evaporation and this leaves behind nearly everything that was dissolved in the water when it flowed into the Dead Sea from the Jordan River and other streams. It is Israel’s and Jordan’s natural waste dump.

The Dead Sea is 8.6 times saltier than the oceans, making it the second saltiest body of water on earth. To hold this record, it is a 33.7% salt solution. Deeper water is saltier so 300 feet down the salt precipitates to the bottom. Third, at 42 feet long, 11 miles wide, and 1240 feet deep, it is the deepest salt lake in the world.

Because of the fact that the mineral laden water escapes only by evaporation, vast stores of potash, bromine, caustic soda, magnesium, and sodium chloride have dissolved in its waters over the last several thousand years. As much as two trillion dollars worth of fertilizer compounds are now found there, including 1.9 billion tons of potash. The characteristics that make the Sea dead have certainly contributed to giving the country life.

The serious problem that has arisen, however, is that water level in the Dead Sea is dropping, presently at three feet a year. This means since 1970, the level has dropped 72 feet. What are the reasons for this? The first reason is that very little rain feeds it directly. The northern part of the Sea gets about 4 inches of rain a year, the southern part only 2 inches. Irrigation in northern Israel, as well as manufacturing now take 90% of the Jordan River water that would normally feed the Dead Sea.

The salts are reported to have therapeutic value and are taken out of the Dead Sea and sold for this. Desalination plants in the southern area extract these salts and also provide fresh, clean wate. This loss of water has actually lowered the water table in the country, and this affects the ability of the land to provide enough water for the citizens and, therefore, increases the need to take water from the Jordan.

The entire country has been affected by this drop in water level. The Dead Sea has actually changed its shape. The bottom third of the Sea was always very shallow compared with the rest. Some conjecture that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, mentioned in the Old Testament book of Genesis, were located in this area. But, because of the lower water level, the Lisan Peninsula (Arabic for “tongue” because of its shape) now separates the Sea into two parts.

Of course, the Dead Sea is a great tourist attraction and a continued drop in its level may have an effect on this source of income. But the Dead Sea is, frankly, a healthy place to be, for it has a low level of allergens, increased air pressure, decreased ultra-violet solar radiation, and high levels of oxygen.

Presently Jordan and Israel are considering a joint project called the “Two Seas Canal”. If it happens, a 125 mile pipeline would pump salt water from the Aqaba region of the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. A desalination plant on the Jordanian side would produce both 850 million cubic meters of fresh water a year, and hydroelectricity would be generated as the pumped water falls into the Sea.

Western civilization often takes for granted the glass of water freely available. Other nations must go to great lengths or limit its use to provide sufficient fresh water for the people. Whether or not our sources of water are threatened, wise stewardship is in order so that we continue to have enough of this life-giving liquid for years to come.

But if you’re going to an area where the water is not pure, consider the Berkey Water Filters. The Black Berkey Filters that ship with the Big Berkey, or any other model, are able to filter out microscopic bacteria without removing the minerals beneficial to your health. There is virtually no other water filter system that can do this.