If you turn on the wrong kitchen faucet in search of a cool drink at Kibbutz Lotan, you're going to get a mouthful of warm, salty water. The foul-tasting H2O is pumped into homes from the region's only water source, a natural, underground well called an aquifer (pronounced ak-wa-fir). "Spit it out immediately and reach for the second faucet in the sink to quench your thirst," says Eran Cicelsky, 8, who lives in Lotan, an eco-conscious community in Israel's arid Negev desert. "Every house has two faucets," he explains, "one with a filter, which is for drinking only, and one without a filter, which is for everything else. Because water is scarce, we even water our gardens with recycled water from the houses." Eran and his neighbors, like everyone in Israel, have become experts at renewing and recycling Earth's most precious natural resource: water.

INCREDIBLY SHRINKING SEA

Most of Israel's fresh water comes from the Kinneret (also known as the Sea of Galilee). Huge pipes at the bottom of the lake divert 290 million gallons of water daily into Israel's National Water Carrier, a series of canals, aqueducts, and pipelines that deliver water throughout the Jewish state. A severe drought during the past five years and increased demand for drinking water have caused the Kinneret to shrink to dangerously low levels. In fact, during one week last spring, the lake receded 2½ inches. Experts worry that by the end of 2008, Israel, which already has one of the world's lowest amounts of available water per person, could face a water shortage of almost 100,000 gallons. (In comparison, America has 100 times greater water potential per person than Israel.) "In the next two or three years we'll have to learn to swim in empty swimming pools," says Professor Uri Shani, only half-jokingly. As director of Israel's Water Authority, he understands the crisis better than anyone. Shani warns that the water level in the Kinneret sits 80 perilous inches from the dreaded black line: the point where the pumps are higher than the water. If we cross that threshold, he says, no more water can be pumped. "When the water is gone, it's gone."

EVERY DROP COUNTS

"The drought this year is serious," agrees Esty Julian, 14, who lives in Arad, near the Dead Sea. "Three years ago, we had a swirling water sprinkler to run through, but now we don't use it. Now," she says, "we take really short showers, and when we want a drink, we fill the glass with only as much water as we plan to drink. We don't waste any kind of water." In fact," Esty adds, "When I'm done washing the floor, I take the water left in the bucket and pour it on a plant in the yard. Every drop counts." To ensure that every drop counts, Israeli scientists have developed state-of-the-art technologies that purify sewage for irrigation and desalinate sea water (remove the salt) for drinking.

THEY WATER CROPS WITH THAT?

Though it might sound gross, treating and reusing sewage water for irrigation is the easiest and cheapest way to increase Israel's water supply. Aqwise, an Israeli company, is leading a technological revolution that potentially will renew millions of gallons of wastewater that otherwise would be lost. Researchers at Aqwise invented a peanutsized plastic knob that houses special bacteria. When added to sewage vats, these hungry bacteria munch on human waste. Currently, they clean about 76,000 gallons of wastewater a year. Reclaimed sewage sludge can be used to irrigate crops, saving fresh water for drinking. "We tip our hat to Israel for setting an example for the rest of the world," says Joseph E. Zuback, Vice President of a leading American technology firm.

"AND THE WATER BECAME SWEET"

Bitter water has plagued Israel since the earliest days of the Jewish people. Shemot, chapter 15, recalls that soon after crossing the Sea of Reeds, Bnei Yisrael (the Children of Israel) traveled for three days in the wilderness without finding water. Finally, they arrived at Marah, where they could not drink the water because it was bitter. Moshe cried to God, who showed him a tree and commanded him to throw it into the water: vayimteku hamayim ("and the water became sweet"). Desalination was born.

Unfortunately, perfecting desalination in modern Israel has been more difficult. After others failed repeatedly to design a cost-efficient process, scientists at the Institute for Negev Research succeeded. They invented a special membrane that allows fresh water molecules to pass through, but catches salt and electrolytes. The process, called reverse osmosis (RO), could provide 30 percent of Israel's drinking water by 2010. To accomplish this ambitious goal, the government has built 31 desalination plants along Israel's coastline, including the world's largest plant in Ashkelon. If all works according to plan, the Ashkelon operation will produce over 150,000 gallons of fresh water by 2013, and about 200,000 gallons by 2020.

THE ETERNAL LAND

Although Eran Cicelsky and Esty Julian and their families live in modern Israel, and although they share in the conveniences of contemporary culture, such as television, Internet, and cell phones, these young Jews feel a special bond with our Biblical ancestors. Like Avraham, Yitzchak, Ya'akov, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah, Eran and Esty have learned to live on the Land; they have adapted to its rhythms and its rigors, and like those who came before them, they have assumed responsibility to renew it.

EVERY DROP COUNTS

1. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and wash your face.
2. Make sure to always turn off the faucet tightly when you’re done.
3. Talk to your parents about installing water-saving gadgets on your faucets and showerheads.
4. Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full or set to the correct water level for the size of the load.
5. Use leftover water to water plants or clean up.
6. Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the fridge. That way, you don’t have keep the faucet running while you wait for the water to cool off!
7. Use a broom—not a hose—to clean off your driveway.
8. Find a spot in your yard that needs water and wash your pet there.
9. Like to garden? Be sure to put mulch (preferrably organic) around your plants to hold the water where the plant needs it.
10. Water your plants only when needed, and early in the morning to minimize evaporation.
11. Think about star ting a compost pile for garbage that you would normally put in the disposal.
12. Encourage your family and friends to follow these tips, too!