Water level rises in Istanbul dams

ISTANBUL

Water levels in the dams supplying Istanbul have reached 79.4 percent thanks to recent rainfall.

Data from the Istanbul Water and Sewage Administration (İSKİ) showed that water level in Istanbul dams were at 24 percent on Jan. 11, when the city’s water supplies were at alarmingly low levels, but increased by almost three times in three-and-half months.

The highest water level was recorded in the Ömerli Resevoir at 97 percent, while it was 95 percent in the Darlık, 94 percent in the Elmalı and 86 percent in the Istrancalar reservoirs.

The city, which relies on reservoirs and large ponds for water for its more than 15 million inhabitants, consumes 2.9 million cubic meters of water on average each day.

In March, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli alleviated concerns, saying that water supplies to Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir were adequate and all three would not suffer from water scarcity.