Water Conservation

Greywater Recycling of Mikveh (Ritual Bathhouse) Water
Shomera was a pioneer of greywater recycling in Israel, and certainly within the environmental movement. In 2001, Shomera launched an innovative initiative to recycle the greywater of the baths at 2 ritual bathhouses (”mikveh”). The treated water would be designated as irrigation of desolate property nearby to be converted to a public park and to be transported to Shomera’s educational center in the Jerusalem Forest. . The projects were to serve as a model to mikvehs throughout the country and there was even preliminary interest in the concept expressed in the diaspora. Moreover, the project were intended to inspire the reuse of greyater at other facilities such as country clubs, sport facilities and the like. This unusual initiative received public attention as well as the support of the Ministry of the Environment. An extended dialogue ensued with the Ministry of Health as to procedure and ultimately, the project was shut down due to Shomera’s concern that given preliminary understandings, the project would ultimately be economically nonviable and perhaps, unattainable.