The Health and Environmental Protection Ministries advised against entering the water at several points due to a high level of bacterial contamination.

ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF. NOVEMBER 13, 2025

There are high levels of bacteria in several streams in the North, the Health Ministry and the Environmental Protection Ministry reported Wednesday. They advised against entering them due to a high risk of contamination.

More than 400 fecal coliforms per 100 milliliters of water were found in the bacteria samples, which were taken on Tuesday, the report said.

Three locations along the Hatzbani Stream were found to be contaminated, including at Roman Bridge (450 coliforms), Hydroelectric Station (440 coliforms), and the Jordan River Estuary (700 coliforms), it said.

Several locations along the Jordan River were also found to be contaminated, including Yosef Bridge (1,200 coliforms), Lahavot Habashan Bridge (2,000 coliforms), Hahamisha Bridge (1,100 coliforms), Huri Bridge (1,000 coliforms), Jordan River at Ateret (800 coliforms), Arik Bridge (750 coliforms), Yehudia (500 coliforms), and Zaki (550 coliforms).

At least six other locations were also found to be contaminated, including Jilabun (1,300 coliforms), the Hexagonal Pool (1,100 coliforms), Tzalmon Stream’s Haharuv Pool (2,100 coliforms), Ein Tamir Pool (1,700 coliforms), Hadalavim Pool (650 coliforms), and Ein Hardalit (550 coliforms).

No known pollution source identified

The inspectors from the Nature and Parks Authority were unable to identify the sources of pollution in the streams tested, the report said. They take samples every two weeks at fixed points in the streams, it said.

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