The National Water Carrier, which is Israel's lifeline, supplying water from the Sea of Galilee in the north to the southern part of the country, is composed of a 12-mile long open canal followed by a buried 108 inch pressure pipeline.

The entire system (including pumping stations, reservoirs, laboratories and accessories) was designed and its construction supervised by TAHAL, who also took into consideration security aspects.

Thus measures were incorporated to protect the system from terrorist attacks and ensure that should contamination occur, there would be sufficient time to avert injury to consumers. Physical barriers were erected, together with fences equipped with sophisticated electronic gadgetry, CCTVs, highly sensitive infrared sensors and other devices based on fiber optics technology.

Strategically located laboratories were constructed in order to carry out routine analyses with online monitoring, thus ensuring that no chemical or biological contaminants are present. Provisions were also made to put into action predetermined mitigating procedures, thereby ensuring that the consumers suffer no adverse effects.

To date there has been no record of successful attempts to tamper with the systems that supply much of Israel with its most essential commodity, due in no small measure to the preventive actions implemented and improved during the past 40-year period.