Events and Opinions: There will be no water problem in Istanbul
While the cumulative total precipitation amounts are 869.93 kg in 2020-2021 and 904.57 kg in 2021-2022, it is only 137.38 kg in the three first rows of the 2022-2023 period. Global warming, loss of forest based on political domination and rent policies, population growth caused by wrong refugee policy, against the hostile groups against İBB, İSKİ continues to pour the Drinking and Usage Regulation from the taps in the houses in Istanbul. It cannot clearly solve a drinking and utility water problem in Istanbul.
MEASURES
1- How is the production and use of water in Istanbul? Where is drinking and utility water supplied from?
There has been an increasing water level in Istanbul in the last 4 years. For example, annual/daily usage for 2022 is 1 billion 104 million m3/3 million 24 thousand m3. In 2022, 58 percent of the total raw water supplied to the city of Istanbul was met from dams and 42 percent from controls and wells.
2- According to the worst scenario, what will be the concrete grounds that you will not have a water cut in Istanbul?
– İSKİ will bring the Melen 3 pumping center in addition to Melen 1 and 2 in the Melen basin, which receives the most rainfall, on January 15, and increase the production to 2 million 500 thousand m3/day and transfer these waters to the Ömerli Dam and the Republic. It will transfer it to the Drinking Water Treatment Plant (CISAT).
– With the SAL PUMP system in Ömerli dam, the production capacity will be increased to 250 thousand m3/day and 1 million m3 of raw water will be transferred to CISAT.
– CISAT’s 720 thousand m3/day treatment capacity will be increased by 20 percent.
– A new pump has been added from CISAT to transfer more water (150 thousand m3/day) during the promotion period to Kağıthane.
– Loss-leakage rate with DMA (Isolated Measurable Sub-Zone) which is an inspection-surveillance system for reducing water loss-leakage in order to have water (at drinking standards) and is still around 220, 20 of which will be used more in the coming days. While it was 20.52 percent in 2021, it was reduced to 19.45 percent in 2022. This is approximately 10 million m3 water savings per year.
PRODUCTION AND SAVINGS
İSKİ management is aware of the negativities that may develop as a result of this drought and lack of precipitation. A serious water monitoring (water vigilance) should not be taken into account by reporting the problems and solutions for the coming years within the scope of the annual master plan made by İSKİ. In addition, it is foreseen that the negative effects that may develop are observed as the end of seasonal deaths. This year, the solutions specified in article 2 were produced immediately. And as a result of this, with the new measures and solutions taken, water will be able to flow from the taps in this season without being cut off. However, it should be understood very well that saving in water use is as important as water production. The way to do this is through media support and raising awareness about the idea of water, especially from childhood, at the end of education and training.
prof. Dr. BEKIR S. KOCAZEYBEK
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY SPECIALIST/ISKI BOARD MEMBER