Water pollution in Bursa: Nilüfer Brook runs black and bitter

* Photos: Bursa Water Collective

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The Bursa Water Collective warns that the Nilüfer Brook, flowing across Turkey's western province of Bursa from the east to the west, is now running black and bitter due to the large industrial facilities discharging their wastewater into the brook without enough water treatment as well as other businesses operating along the coast of the brook.

Sharing pictures from the area on its social media account, the Bursa Water Collective has written, "Water means life and clean water is the right of all living beings. This project involves the pollution of water, air and soil as well as a high amount of noise pollution."

How does the pollution come up?

Springing from Keles at the outskirts of Mount Uludağ, the Nilüfer Brook flows together with Deliçay, Ayvalı Brook, Sultaniye, Kurtkaya, Değirmendere, Yaylacık and Kaplıkaya streams. Joining the Susurluk Stream, it finally mixes with the Marmara Sea after some 200 kilometres.

The discharge of chemical waste in industrial zones is cited among the most important problems underlying the pollution in Nilüfer Brook.

The brook has been flowing dirty for nearly 40 years. While it is drinkable water in Uludağ, where it originates, the water of Nilüfer Brook starts to get polluted when it arrives in the area of hotels.

As reported by the Bursa Water Collective, the businesses in this hotel area of Bursa do not have infrastructure or treatment facilities.

When the water comes from Uludağ to the city center, it is exposed to the pressure of chemical waste coming from the industrial zone.

The water quality of the brook is in the third or fourth group, so unusable. Its water turns into an open sewage when it leaves the city center.

Urgent call by an association

Working on the issue, the Association for Protecting Nature and Environment (DOĞADER) members made an urgent call for an action plan on March 25, 2021, raising concerns that the water run black in the streams of Bursa, which is surrounded by industrial facilities.

Noting that Bursa's streams were extremely polluted with chemical waste, DOĞADER Executive Board member Murat Demir said that "while the people of Bursa could not find clean water, water was commercialized." Stressing that water is drawn off from springs and bottled, he added:

"While the Nilüfer Brook is clean in its spring, it is contaminated with sewage and chemical waste from factories. Marmara Sea cannot stand this pollution any longer. The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization must ensure the modernization of treatment facilities. Detectors must be put in treatment spots and they must be monitored. Nine out of 10 streams run dirty in Bursa. Adequate inspections and sanctions must be in place."

A Master's thesis on the subject

In 2019, Selma Bozdemir from Uludağ University also wrote a Master's thesis on the pollution in the Nilüfer Brook.

Referring to the large population and industrialization in the city, Bozdemir has noted that there has been an intensive pressure on the brook as a result. Noting that there are several water treatment facilities of municipalities and industrial zones across the city, she has said that some industrial facilities discharge their water into the brook and its forks without water treatment.

According to Bozdemir, all these factors decrease the quality of the brook as an irrigation water. Accordingly, she has pointed to the need for a wide-scale project where water samples are taken so that the effects of the long-lasting pollution in the regions where the water of the Nilüfer Brook is used as irrigation water can be documented. (TP/SD)