İstanbul has enough water for 45 days, Ankara for 110 days

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA) - Archive

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Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) Chamber of Chemical Engineers Chair Dr. Ali Uğurlu has made a statement as the fill rates of dams in İstanbul are now as low as 19 percent.

Indicating that as of yesterday (January 5), the amount of drinking and service water in İstanbul's Drinking Water Dams was around 138 million cubic meters, Uğurlu said, "Accordingly, the dams have water that will be sufficient for İstanbul for a maximum of 45 days."

Stressing that further environmental pollution and health problems are awaiting İstanbulites if the drought persists, Uğurlu said that a decision should be urgently made between water shortage and artificial rainfall.

'Fill rate in Ankara: 20 percent'

The Ankara Metropolitan Municipality has also indicated that the total amount of water in Ankara's dams is 331 million 345 thousand cubic meters.

In a statement released by Ankara Water and Sewerage Administration (ASKİ) General Director Erdoğan Öztürk, it was indicated that the fill rate of dams in the capital city was 20.91 percent as of yesterday.

"When compared with the previous year, there is now 13 million 469 thousand cubic meters less water. In the event that no water comes to the dams, we can say that we have enough water for 110 days. Every drop of our water is very precious," said Erdoğan Öztürk.

According to his statement, the total volume of the dams located around Ankara and providing the capital city with water (Çamlıdere, Kurtboğazı, Eğrekkaya, Akyar, Çubuk 2, Kavşakkaya and Elmadağ Kargalı dams) is 1 billion 584 million 555 thousand cubic meters.

Taken together with the lost and leaking water, the daily average water consumption per capita is over 250 liters in Ankara, said Öztürk.

Raising concerns over the "global water crisis," he said that "our capital city was unfortunately getting its share" from the crisis.

"The weather is very dry and without precipitation this year," said Öztürk, underlining that the per capita water consumption is higher as a result of the pandemic: "We must observe the hygiene rules, but we must also be careful about using water economically more than ever before."

Mayor: We have water enough for 110 days

Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş has also tweeted a message about the issue. "Our dams' fill rate has dropped to 19 percent, we have water enough for 110 days," Yavaş has said and added:

"If the Graduated Water Bill practice, which we will bring to the municipal council, is accepted, the water rate for people getting social aid will be 1 lira per a ton up to 10 tons, and to prevent high consumption, the bill will gradually get higher when more then 10 cubic meters of water is used." (TP/EKN/SD)