For more than two months we have been following the condition of Nahal Saadia located in the heart of Haifa. Despite promises heard from various parties, including the Haifa Municipality, that the source of the pollution would be located and treated, on the ground, nothing has changed and the neglect continues. Those who took on the task of protecting this stream are private individuals who care about nature, at the uncompromising initiative of environmental activist Eric Drobot.
A stream in the middle of Haifa • "Travelers in Israel" | watch
"shameful neglect"
Nahal Saadia is a nature corner in the heart of the city of Haifa, near Check Post. The same stream with clear water and green corners on its sides is regularly polluted when sewage and waste water are poured into it. who cloud and pollute its waters. From measurements carried out by the Kishon River Authority, it appears that the water of the river, which is originally clean and clear, has bacterial contamination at a non-negligible level.
Eric Drobot He is an avid nature lover who lives in Neshar. On one of his many tours and searches for nature corners, he arrived at Nahal Saadia about a year and a half ago. Eric was surprised to discover an impressive natural gem, with clear and clean water flowing through it coming from various sources. He began to investigate the place, while trying to understand how it is possible that only a few people know about it and why the authorities do not take care to cultivate it as it should be done.
Pollution of Nahal Saadia • Eric Drobot | watch
As he researched and studied the issue, Drobot realized that the Haifa municipality had a plan for several years to establish a high-tech park in the place where the stream is located, a plan that would lead to its demolition. In addition to this, Drobot found out that for a long time, not only have no actions been taken to preserve the stream, but even sewage and sewage water are regularly pumped into it, polluting its waters severely.
Ever since he discovered the Saadia stream, Drobot has been putting in almost unimaginable efforts to protect the stream, and save it.
Drobot told Hai here: "The Saadia stream is a steady stream that flows all year round, regardless of the weather or other conditions, for over 100 years. The water in it is clean and clear and you can swim and dip in it. Not many people know about it due to its hidden location and due to bad public relations that have accumulated regarding To him. The place is under the control of the Haifa municipality, but in terms of its characteristics it is a nature reserve for everything, there are birds, fish, crabs and other animals here."

"Everyone knows and no one does anything"
Drobot continues: "The pollution in the stream has been going on for over a year now. I personally sit on all the authorities since October 2020 and sit in the stream every day. All the authorities know about the discharge of sewage and do nothing. The Haifa Municipality blames it on the Carmel Water Corporation and Carmel Water says they did tests and that it was oils. River Authority Kishon did tests and there are abnormal results of polluted effluents. All the environmental authorities are aware of the issue, they all promise but in practice nothing happens. I am in continuous contact with representatives of all the authorities - nature and gardens, water, Nahal Kishon and many others. They promise that they will do something but in practice they do not We will do something."
Nahal Saadia • Eric Drobot | watch
According to the municipality's planning, Drobot says, they are supposed to build on an area of about 80 percent of the green area, which will lead to the destruction of the section of the stream. What is unacceptable in all opinions, especially in a country as small as ours, and poor in water resources and nature, is that It remained after the destruction caused by man over the years.
Drobot works vigorously in all the ways at his disposal to save the stream, he recruited other people to help him who became active partners in this worthy struggle. They started a group on Facebook - "Saving Nahal Saadia" In order to bring the existence of this special stream and its condition to the public's attention, they are organizing meetings for its cleaning and restoration, with the overarching goal of course, to get the authorities to take responsibility and take care of it properly.
"It is possible and necessary to treat"
Dr. Yuval Arbel, chairman of the association Tselul Messer Lahi Fa - the news corporation:
"There is a discharge of sewage or some kind of drainage with a high level of pollution, almost 10,000 bacteria, which are an indicator of pollution and sewage. It is not really raw pollution because there was much more back then, but there is a source of pollution here. Because the flow at the outlet is quite strong, the pollution is quite low downstream The creek. The authorities deal with but do not solve the problem, the bottom line is to find the source and stop it, it is not impossible but difficult, because there can be dozens if not hundreds of pollutants.
The second way that can be carried out at the same time as finding the source of the pollution, is to pump this polluted water to a sewage treatment plant, before it enters the clean stream. In the same place where there is a flow of polluted water, a dam has already been built, but this dam flows into Nahal Saadia and pollutes it, therefore it is not a sufficient solution. You need to put a pump in the same place and send this wastewater to a wastewater treatment facility that knows how to handle this wastewater without a problem."

The Haifa Municipality informed Lahi Pa - the News Corporation:
"The municipality is working with all investigative and enforcement agencies authorized to deal with the issue, including: the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Union of Cities for Environmental Protection, the Kishon River Authority and the Carmel Water Corporation in order to find the source of the pollution, to bring about its cessation.
The new employment area is under construction when two new buildings with a total area of tens of thousands of meters have already been erected in close proximity to the Gulf Central. As part of the continued development, it is also planned to regulate the route of the stream while strictly preserving the natural values in the place."
From the Nahal Kishon Authority it was delivered to Lai Pa:
"The Saadia River is a natural gem in the heart of the urban area of the city of Haifa, but it suffers from various pollutions and lately at a higher intensity than before. An investigation we conducted shows that the source of the current pollution is sanitary sewage that enters the municipal drainage system from an unknown source. This pollution causes odor hazards, turbidity and fecal bacteria In the past, the Kishon River Authority together with the Haifa Municipality promoted actions to improve the situation in the river, but thorough treatment is needed to solve the problem.
The river authority took part in a meeting with all the various regulatory bodies on the subject. At the meeting, several options came up to solve the problem of the drainage pipe. At the same time as the regulatory authorities, a date has been set for a meeting with the city engineer and the relevant authorities in the Haifa municipality, in order to promote a holistic solution that will completely stop the pollution of the stream."
From Chai Pa's inquiry, even today, after more than two months have passed, nothing has changed regarding the treatment of the river. Eric Drobot, who as mentioned visits the place every day, testifies to this as he continues his struggle.
We will continue to follow, in the hope that something will move and we will be able to enjoy Haifa's Saadia Creek, when it is clean and preserved, as a magnificent and valuable natural resource of its kind deserves.
Itineraries in Nahal Saadia
If you are interested in visiting the special corner of nature that is close to your home, as long as the situation is reasonable and allows, directions and 2 possible itineraries are attached:
The source area and the beginning of the stream: park at the Check Post intersection or in the parking lot of the Carmel Tunnels offices.
Trail 1 –
Go to the beginning of the bike path at the intersection of the Bar Yehuda Histadrut streets and start walking towards the west (Haifa) after 10 meters there is a Turkish bridge where the stream begins and from there with the bike path for 100 meters there is the stream.
Trail 2 –
Park in the same place, the Carmel tunnels office.
Walk northwest on the road until there is a descent to the left to the Korkar road that goes west (there is a main power line that cannot be missed that runs parallel to the Korkar path) after 100 meters there is a T-junction, turn left and reach the stream, there is a path along the stream.
Come support us: saving Nahal Saadia.
Hello
On Saturday 13.11.21/XNUMX/XNUMX there is a special activity, a struggle and a special demonstration of presence in Nahal Saadia.
The construction plan was approved and the mayor of the city announced that she is not ready to talk and hear about Nahal Saadia and that we will have no more hopes.
Details will be published on the group's Facebook page: @save the Saadia stream. They do not cancel the H.P. 1704C plan.
The situation now is the worst it can be.
Without public and political pressure from many, many, many more people.
Her mind will not change and the plan will go ahead.
I have no other country .
We must protect this natural gem.
For our well-being and the well-being of our children and future generations. Such treasures must be developed and preserved.
The dogs are barking and the singing goes through 70 years of neglect nothing has changed and nothing will change shame on the strength and health
There are other streams in Haifa that are neglected, including Nahal Shih which has dipping pools like the officers' pools in the north
This default should be regularly flooded in the media! Where is the Ministry of Environment???? Where is the Nature and Parks Authority???? Not to mention the municipality of Haifa, shame and disgrace to neglect such a place!!!!
How is it possible that only one person is willing to fight for nature. Where is the Hartag, where exactly? Why don't they fight with the Haifa municipality and oblige them to open the river to the public?
For years the Haifa Municipality has been disrespecting the public, the Nature Reserves Authority is the same, this guy Eric, well done to him, there are no such people, and the only thing that can be done is to recruit others who care and are ready to fight these corrupt bodies, cultivate, clean and allow access to all areas of this amazing stream
The original name in Arabic is Ein al-Saada (عين السعاده) and not Nahal Saadia why do you change the name to Hebrew Aalek Saadia you can't erase history it won't help you
It is simply amazing how a place with such great potential is treated so badly by the authorities. There are so few steady flowing streams in the country - so how do you allow sewage and other pollution to flow into this beautiful stream?
The public must help the fight to save Nahal Saadia. Come and join the Facebook group "Saving Nahal Saadia" and through it you will receive updates on the struggle. There is also information there about tours that Eric conducts in the place from time to time, and also about cleaning days concentrated in the river.
It is possible and it is in our hands!
An important and instructive story. I did not understand who is the party that takes the ultimate responsibility. I understood that the various parties transfer responsibility from one to the other. If there is no "spike" in this pyramid then the matter may fall through the cracks in the end. I think it's worth producing a mass event (festival day) on the site itself, and allowing elected officials/institutional bodies to go up on stage and have their say. Audience representatives will be able to respond accordingly from the same stage. A kind of "public debate". Successfully.
Stunning article ⚘
Hope they will manage to save nature, before nature saves itself.
Amazing, exciting, annoying, upsetting... all together
We didn't learn anything from the corona, we probably need a stronger blow??♂️
Haifa suffers from a succession of mayors who do not understand that their role is to act for the public. Fortunately for Haifa, the city and its surroundings have a rare collection of good people who care, like Eric and many others who try and succeed in saving the city from moral and physical destruction. The struggle escalates with the understanding that joining forces - a coalition of activists for the city - will create a center of power that the municipality will have a hard time ignoring. The struggle to save Nahal Saadia joins the struggles to preserve natural values, prevent construction in the city and make urban nature accessible to the public as nature and not as a park.
The media such as Hai-Fa and others should take an active part in the struggle - take a stand and remind the elected representatives of the city, day and night, that they were elected to serve the public and not themselves.
This is what happens when Israeli nature meets Israeli behavior. Instead of treating the issue as a ticking bomb, the ball is passed from one to the other.
From reading the development plan in question, there is no reference to the drainage and sewage points that exist along the stream, so it is very possible that this plan refers to the stream as another drainage canal.
The place is amazing, it is very important to preserve it.
I, as a volunteer, am asking everyone who can lend their voice and join the group's Facebook group "Saving Nahal Saadia", in order to strengthen the group in front of all the authorities. To give the group strength to fight the rigid bureaucracy in front of it.
Please take responsibility for this natural gem.
Please join the group, ask for friends from the group. Vote with us that you also care about this country.
Everything is done voluntarily. Together we will succeed.
Success is everyone's.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/444586026676925
Thanks
Tammy
All the best to Eric, I thought that only a few people knew Nahal Saadia from Haifa. When I was little we would come to the place to swim. And one day I decided months ago to come to the place where I grew up. And I noticed that they diverted the stream. Construction waste was dumped there. We agreed to contribute to the water tests of the stream. There was also a cleaning day in the stream. Paradise in Haifa. A place for raising poultry, fish and animals. There is an egg in the middle rich in life. The municipality must join in building paths and benches, this is paradise in Haifa. You don't have to go to Nahal Asi because Nahal Asi is here. The Valley of the Springs 5 springs of clean and clear water are blown into the stream at over 540 cubic meters of water per hour. Let's make a nature corner in Haifa and live the Chek Post. You can walk in the water