Three major cities at risk of water depletion

ISTANBUL

Three of the country's major provinces are particularly suffering from rapid water resource depletion as a result of the extreme temperatures and climate disaster brought on by the El Nino phenomenon.

Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir are on the verge of a catastrophic scenario regarding water supplies as the country is gripped by an unrelenting heatwave, with the water levels in some dams falling to their lowest levels.

According to official data, Istanbul has about 68 days of water left, followed by the capital Ankara with 225 days and Izmir with 400 days in case of no rainfall.

An official from Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (İSKİ) told local media that 70 percent of the water consumption at residential units takes place in the bathrooms, urging the public to shorten their shower durations.

Stating that water use for agricultural purposes in Istanbul is also intense in rural areas, the expert said that water and sewage administrations should increase the water prices by at least 50 percent, as low water prices resulted in record-breaking consumptions due to extreme heat.

The capacity in the dams providing water to Istanbul as of Aug. 13 stands at a concerning 34.05 percent. This represents a considerable decrease from the rate of 65.29 percent last year and is the lowest level seen in the previous nine years.

According to Ankara Water and Sewerage Administration (ASKİ) data, as of Aug. 13, the amount of usable water obtained from the capital's dams and wastewater treatment plants filled only 35.58 percent of the total potential.

Meanwhile in Izmir, the total water level of the dams was measured at 27.3 percent as of Aug. 13.