U.S. Firm Starts Building First Water Desalination Plant in Israel

The cornerstone was laid here today at this southern tip of Israel for the country’s first water desalination plant, which will consist of four units each capable of producing 60, 000 gallons of sweet water daily. The plant will be completed before the end of this year.

Attending the ceremony were President Ben-Zvi; Development Minister Mordechai Bentov: David Karr, president of the Fairbanks Whitney Corp. of Chicago, which is building the united Dr. Alexander Zarchin of Tel Aviv, Russian-born inventor of the process; Frank Barry, United States Undersecretary of the Interior; and Carlton Skinner, treasurer of Fairbanks Whitney Corporation.

Mr. Barry, whose presence indicated the interest of the U.S. Government in the process, said the United States felt that the Zarchin process might solve irrigation problems of arid regions in the United States. Mr. Skinner disclosed that a contract had been reached for construction of a Zarchin plant with 3, 000, 000 gallons daily capacity for the United States Navy.

The plant in Israel is being established Jointly by the Israel Government and the American corporation, the Government holding 60 percent of shares in the plant, and the corporation, 40 percent. The price of water produced through the Zarchin process will initially be just under $1.00 per thousand gallons, which compares with $1.75 per thousand gallons, the next lowest price by any other process.

Mr. Karr told the gathering that his company expected the price to come down to 40 cents per thousand gallons within a few years. The plant will produce 250, 000 gallons daily when completed. Mr. Karr also reported that agreement had been reached on an arrangement under which the American firm would produce desalination plants for the American hemisphere and Israel will make them for Europe, Africa and Asia.

Soviet Ambassador Mikhail Bodrov also was present at the ceremony and had a long talk with the Russian-born inventor, who has several of his inventions, including some for manganese production, registered in Russia. The interest of the Soviets in the process was indicated by the fact that while other members of the diplomatic corps arrived at Eilat shortly before the start of the cornerstone laying, Ambassador Bodrov and three aides arrived at Eilat yesterday, attended a lengthy press conference last night and during the press dinner which followed arranged their seating so that Dr. Zarchin had a Soviet diplomat on either side.