A beautiful but little-known stream whose mostly clear waters flow year-round through the industrial area of the northern city of Haifa and out into the Mediterranean Sea is to undergo an initial stage of rehabilitation to remove pollutants, the city announced Monday. Six springs feed the Saadia stream. The first and biggest is located near the busy Checkpost Junction.
The water comes from rainfall that has percolated through the Carmel mountains into the groundwater. The stream goes under Route 4 and the Carmel tunnels, which allow passage between between the west and east of the city. It then enters open land, passing through an area of light industry before meeting the Kishon River and draining out to sea.
Next week, construction will begin on a pumping station to operate during the dry summer months to remove contaminated water that enters the drainage infrastructure from industries such as printing presses, vehicle repair shops, and ironmongeries. The pumping station will divert what is in the drains away from the stream to a sewage treatment plant, close to the nearby Bazan oil refinery complex. The project, which involves the environmental protection and agriculture ministries, the Kishon Drainage Authority, and the Haifa Municipality, will also see the removal of invasive plants and planting of native species, the laying of paths, and the installation of seating corners.
Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav said the pumping station marked the first step of a comprehensive plan to r.
