Scientists raise concerns over unclean water in quake zone
Following investigations in the aftermath of the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes that rattled 11 provinces, a team of scientists has found that water supplies were deemed unfit for consumption in some areas, prompting urgent attention to the need for water treatment units.
The earthquakes that struck on Feb. 6, 2023, affected a vast geography and caused great destruction, including water networks.
A group of scientists from Dokuz Eylül University (DEU) traveled to the region last week to conduct investigations.
Water networks were repaired after the earthquake. However, due to the ongoing earthquakes, turbid and muddy water can still flow from time to time. This water should not be utilized. The World Health Organization advises that the turbidity rate in drinking water should not be above 5 NTU.
"The measurements we took showed this value between 10 and 50 in some places. We also saw this value drop to a normal level in the measurements we took a few days later. We cannot always take water samples in the wells we have identified as sources. Either the groundwater has been withdrawn or displaced. In order to reach scientific results, these sources need to be monitored for a long time," Professor Azize Ayol from DEU's Department of Environmental Engineering stated.
Drawing attention to the need for treatment units in the region, Ayol said, "Access to clean water in the regions may take a long time. There are areas where these water treatment units need to be installed urgently. I believe water purification systems should be made widespread, especially in disaster areas."
Ayol also shared that DEU’s water treatment units started operating in the disaster zone immediately after the earthquakes and that there were currently seven of them in the region.
