Fill rate of İstanbul’s dams is now over 40 percent

With the recent snowfall and rainfall over the past few weeks, the fill rate of İstanbul’s dams has risen from 19.16 percent to 40.39 percent.

İstanbul

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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The fill rate of dams providing İstanbulites with water has increased to 40.39 percent as a result of the recent snowfall and rainfall in the city.

According to the Water and Sewerage Administration (İSKİ) data, the fill rate of the dams dropped as low as 19.16 percent on January 8.

However, with the recent precipitation, the water in İstanbul's reservoirs has increased by 21.23 percent, according to the İSKİ figures.

As of January 30, the fill rates of İstanbul's dams were as follows: Istrancalar - 63.24 percent; Terkos - 39.74 percent; Sazlıdere - 18.83 percent; Elibey - 51.65 percent; Büyükçekmece - 43.26 percent; Ömerli 44.56 percent and Darlık - 54.18 percent.

The amount of water provided to İstanbulites as of Saturday was 2 million 726 thousand cubic meters, while the total capacity of the dams and ponds providing the city with water is 868 million 683 thousand cubic meters.

30 Ocak 2021 tarihinde İstanbul'a verilen su miktarı: 2 milyon 726 bin metreküp
31 Ocak 2021 tarihi itibariyle içme suyu kaynaklarımızın doluluk oranı: %40,39 pic.twitter.com/b0H1ymYf08
— İSKİ Genel Müdürlüğü (@iskignmudurlugu) January 31, 2021

January 31 in previous years

The fill rates of dams on January 31 were as follows in previous years:

2012: 66.94 percent
2013: 76.53 percent
2014: 33.29 percent
2015: 86.24 percent
2016: 75.58 percent
2017: 84.86 percent
2018: 73.71 percent
2019: 90.35 percent
2020: 56.74 percent

Water in Turkey

While Turkey has been going through one of the driest winters of recent years, temperatures have hit record highs in several provinces. The water levels in dams and natural lakes have dropped significantly in several cities of Turkey, especially in İstanbul.

Contrary to popular belief, Turkey is not rich in water; on the very contrary, it is a country "having water shortage" with 519 m3 water per capita. Moreover, it is projected that its population will hit 100 million people in 2030 and the water per capita will decline to 120 m3. These projections indicate that Turkey might be a "water poor country" in the near future.

Coupled with the climate change, the increasing drought is also expected to pose a serious risk to Turkey. (TP/SD)