Potential solution to Istanbul's water woes: Pipeline from Bulgaria

ISTANBUL

In an effort to solve Istanbul's ongoing water problems, officials are eyeing the Mutlu River, which originates near the Bulgarian border.

The proposed solution involves diverting water from the Mutlu River to the Karacaköy Dam, a 90-kilometer facility to be built next to Lake Terkos. This initiative aims to increase the drinking water supply on the European side of Istanbul by an additional 100 million cubic meters.

The Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (İSKİ ) has taken proactive measures to address potential water shortages in the city. Although it relies on the Melen River in the northwestern province of Düzce and dams in Kırklareli such as Sultanbahçedere, Kazandere, and Pabuçdere, İSKİ is exploring alternative water sources.

İSKİ Director General Şafak Başa has shared details of the ambitious "master plan" to secure a more abundant water supply for Istanbul.

"While two-thirds of Istanbul's population lives on the European side, only one-third of its water resources are available there,” he noted. “The European side has been experiencing an unusually dry period for the past two years, resulting in significantly low reservoir levels. To compensate for this deficit, we transfer water daily from the Melen River in Asia to the European side.”

“About 2 million cubic meters of water are used daily on the European side, with 1.4 million cubic meters of water coming from Asia. The Mutlu River, located on the Bulgarian-Turkish border, has untapped potential, with 20 percent of its basin on the Bulgarian side and 80 percent on the Turkish side. The plan is to extract water close to the sea and integrate it into the Istranca system,” Başa said.

"Our master plan includes the construction of the Karacaköy Dam. It seems possible to bring water to Terkos as a backup through an underground tunnel to be opened without harming nature. The project is currently at the feasibility stage,” he added.