Water levels in Istanbul’s dams stand at over 81%, expert praises

The filling rate in the dams supplying water to Istanbul was recorded at 81.29%, Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (ISKI) data revealed on Monday. The water filling rate in the dams has been at the same level for about a month.

The amount of water was recorded as 42.89% in the Istrancalar district, 86.19% in Terkos, 60.27% in Sazlıdere, 66.63% in Alibey, 76.03% in Büyükçekmece, 92.15% in Ömerli, 86.35% in Darlık, 88.46% in Elmalı, 73.51% in Pabuçdere and 73.52% in Kazandere.

Some 189.32 million cubic meters of water were taken from the districts of Melen and Yeşilçay. The amount of water supplied to the city from drinking water treatment plants was calculated as 310.10 million cubic meters.

The amount of precipitation falling on the dams in the first four months of this year was 248.89 kilograms per square meter.

While the dams and ponds supplying water to the city have an accumulation volume of 868.68 million cubic meters, the amount of water was recorded as 706.18 million cubic meters.

Daily water consumption in Istanbul was measured as 3.09 million cubic meters.

Occupancy rates

According to ISKI statistics, while the dam occupancy rates on April 15 were 32.95% in 2014, 97.32% in 2015, 86.69% in 2016, 87.38% in 2017, 91.21% in 2018, 92.93% in 2019, 70.07% in 2020, 80.48% in 2021, 87.91% in 2022, 87.91% in 2022 and 45.18% in 2023, the current rate was recorded as 81.29%.

Underground water

Hüseyin Toros, a professor from Istanbul Technical University’s (ITU) Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics, said in a statement to Anadolu Agency (AA) that the filling rate of Istanbul’s dams is not at the desired level.

Describing the high rates compared to last year as a pleasing situation, Toros said: “The filling rate in Istanbul dams has been around 80% for a long time. When it rains in autumn, most of the rainwater evaporates and flows away, but when there is light rainfall in the form of showers in spring, this rainfall is absorbed by the soil.”

“The underground water continues to feed the dam, especially in April and May. Therefore, if you pay attention, the filling level in the dams always hovers around 80%,” he added.

Stating that Istanbul usually receives the most precipitation in December, Toros said that October to March has the highest precipitation, while April to September has extremely low precipitation.

Toros pointed out that the currently accumulated water should be used carefully in the summer months of June, July, August and September. “Let’s not suffer from thirst when September, October, November and December this year or 2025 to come. The filling rate in the dam until April is significant in terms of looking into the future so that we do not enter such a structure,” he advised.

”I wonder if Istanbul will run out of water or not? Therefore, we can say that the filling rate in the dams is at a manageable level for the time being.”

Stating that the daily water consumption in the city exceeded 2.5 million cubic meters on average in 2013 and 3 million cubic meters on average in 2023, Toros noted that if the increase in water consumption continues in this way, the water will become insufficient even if the dams are 100% full.

Emphasizing that the issue of “rain harvesting” is important, Toros stated that the problem will be solved if the usage of water from factories, sites and parks is collected on-site.

Toros made the following suggestions to avoid the debate on “Will Istanbul run out of water?”

“We must continue harvesting rain and using the water in our homes and workplaces more efficiently. If we do rain harvesting, I think it will be a good solution both in terms of cost and using Istanbul’s existing water supply for a long time.”

Explaining that the highest water levels in Istanbul’s dams were usually reached in April and May and rarely in June, Toros said, “Therefore, I do not expect that the occupancy rate of the dams will increase more than around 80%.”

“In the following process, we need to discuss how to use the existing water and this 81% occupancy more efficiently throughout the year. Most likely, it will not reach higher levels,” he said.

Toros said that water is mostly used in house siphons and that a gradual siphon system can be created instead of using four liters of water at once.

Stating that the water used for washing fruits and vegetables in the kitchen can also be used for watering flowers or in the sink, Toros emphasized that taps should also not be left open while brushing teeth.

Toros recommended installing water-saving heads on faucets and said: “In our homes and workplaces when wondering, ‘How can we use a drop of water more efficiently? How can we not waste a drop of water?’ we need to work on this. We need to think about it. When we save water, all our water needs will be met, and we will contribute to our pocket economically as our water costs will be lower.”

“If it were not for Melen and Yeşilçay, Istanbul would be without water in 2023. In 2023, 1.12 billion cubic meters of water was supplied to the city. 748 million cubic meters of this came from Melen and Yeşilçay. Therefore, without these dams, Istanbul will be without water,” he explained.

‘Water is life’

Underlining that the most important asset in this age is water, Toros used the following expressions: “Our ancestors said ‘Water is life.’ Therefore, how can we use water more efficiently? How can we use water more and differently? Good solutions can emerge when every institution, organization and person produces suggestions in their own way.”

“A solution that I will propose may be very simple compared to the solution you will propose. Therefore, it is precious for each citizen to produce solutions in their own way.”

Toros noted that 75% of the water consumed is used in agriculture, therefore irrigation in agriculture should be planned with systems such as infiltration and drip.

Explaining that irrigation should be done in cold temperatures with little wind in agriculture, Toros added that the water needs of each product are different. This should be determined and irrigation should be done accordingly.