Israel’s national water company Mekorot is responsible for supplying water especially during crises. During the war the company has supplied water to army post hit hard by the fighting and the company understands well that it must be ready for the technological challenges of this period. During the Globes Tech IL Conference, Mekorot CIO Eran Ravid explained what the preparation for extreme situations and functional continuity looked like in the company.
Ravid started his job at Mekorot on October 8, 2023, jumping into the deepest water at a company providing a critical infrastructure on the first day in his new role. He experienced first-hand all the scenarios that are usually practiced in preparation for national emergencies. He says that it was an important “schooling” for him.
Technology is an important commodity in company management
Ravid said that Mekorot invests heavily in startups that benefit the industry in general and Mekorot in particular, which uses the technologies they develop. “Investing in startups should improve our forecasting ability. There are more than 13,000 lines of water pipes deployed in the country, a huge amount that requires advanced technology to maintain.”
Technology is also an important commodity in the company’s management. Mekorot is spread throughout the country, a central layer of its operation is carried out through control rooms whose role is to monitor operations and this helped a lot during the war. He explained, “The fact that Mekorot is a decentralized company helps us deal with crises in other times as well. All the control rooms know how to work independently, and even the smallest water supply units have the capabilities and technology to operate over time. The concept of decentralization is suitable even in routine and in cases where there is no person who can operate it, it is autonomous.”
“We are prepared for disastrous situations
Ravid added that the preparedness for extreme situations as happened during the war is based on four pillars. He said, “Ensuring continuity, strengthening the cybersecurity system, preparing supply and technical teams, and forming action plans in the event of a disaster. In terms of functional continuity, we strongly maintain the communication ability of each unit to be independent and respond, decentralization of the facilities, we have DR sites for all command and control rooms and communication backups. During the war, we added the ability to use satellites, cooperation with open intelligence companies, and we work very closely with the regulator to strengthen something that seems trivial. In other places, we set up a call center that works around the clock, and to prevent cyberattacks, we blocked access from sources from abroad.”
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He also added that one of the biggest challenges in coveying water is the need for power. “Mekorot is the leading consumer of electricity in Israel, since in order to convey water you need power, that means we need an inventory of generators and Mekorot was well prepared in these situations.” In addition, he explained that the company prepared for disasters through war exercises with external companies.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on April 17, 2024.
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