Ministry releases new guidelines for hotels to save water

Meltem Özgenç - ANKARA

Within the scope of the efforts to minimize water problems that may arise in the coming period, the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has prepared a set of guidelines to reduce water consumption in the hospitality industry as the tourism season begins.

The conservation guidelines warn hotels and resorts in the country’s tourism hotspots to use low-pressure taps and faucets with sensors in bathrooms and replace leaking pipes with new ones.

It also warned that towels should not be disposable and that water should not be used unnecessarily when showering, brushing teeth and shaving.

The ministry announced that the amount of water entering the drinking and supply network across the country in 2021 was about 6.22 billion cubic meters, but that 2.09 billion cubic meters of that water was lost before reaching the users.

It was stated that the water loss rate in the drinking water supply and distribution systems was 33.5 percent in 2021 and that the aim is to reduce this figure to 25 percent in the coming years.

“If the average water loss rate is reduced to 25 percent, the water gain obtained today is equivalent to [the capital] Ankara’s water needs for two years,” the guide said.

The ministry noted that even this rate was not sufficient under today’s conditions and that the final target for water loss is 10 percent.

Water trouble in Bodrum

The water levels in the Mumcular and Geyik dams, which supply water to the popular resort town of Bodrum, have dropped to 47 percent and 44 percent, respectively, a decrease of more than 50 percent compared to last year.

Ceyhun Özçelik from Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University said the water problem in Bodrum has become chronic and that Bodrum’s water “could run out in the middle of the summer months.”

“The water levels in the Mumcular and Geyik dams were around 100 percent last year,” he added.

“The groundwater in Bodrum is also quite deep, so it is also difficult to use the groundwater. Loss and leakage rates are also very high. Therefore, I can say that with the arrival of the summer months and the increase in tourist activities, Bodrum is facing difficult days.

Özçelik noted that Bodrum is currently experiencing great difficulties with its water supply.

“Muğla receives rainfall at a level that is close to the Black Sea region. Although we receive a lot of rainfall, we are having difficulties in supplying drinking water in Bodrum. This shows us that our urban infrastructure is inadequate. The population of 200,000 reaches 1.5 million in the summer. Therefore, such an amount of water must be supplied to the city. If Bodrum does not solve this problem, it seems that Bodrum will have difficulty in maintaining its brand value in the future,” he said.