It runs through the now-dry distributary of the Wadi Tumilat,[6] incorporating portions of an ancient Suez Canal that existed between Old Cairo and the Red Sea.

[1] In February 1862, after thousands of workers excavated 1.1 million cubic meters, the canal reached Lake Timsah.

Royal Air Force personnel were advised to avoid contact with the water and were warned that the canal was where deserters would end up.

[5][11][12] The Ismalia Canal remains the main source of drinking and irrigation water for many cities in the 21st century.

Pollution nowadays is mainly a combination of upstream Nile discharge, treated drainage into the canal, and seepage from trash.