Minister urges water saving as Istanbul faces drought

The water levels in Istanbul’s dams are lowest of the past decades with threatening the city with a water cuts in the summer. Waterworks minister calls on people to be careful using water at home Istanbul faces a drought and lack of tap water during the summer of 2014, as precipitation was not as high as previous years and only 27 percent of the dams in Istanbul are full.

Forestry and Waterworks Minister Veysel Eroğlu called on the residents of Istanbul to be frugal with water usage in their homes during the 3rd International Istanbul Water Forum on May 27 in Istanbul’s Haliç Congress Center. “There is a drought in 2014 in Istanbul. The rainfall is 30 percent lower than the previous years, but we will overcome this,” Eroğlu told reporters on May 27.

The minister said they are making efforts to prevent any more water cuts in the city by carrying waters from the streams of the Melen and Istranca to the facilities in Istanbul’s Kağıthane district. He also said they will hold another meeting with Istanbul mayor Kadir Topbaş on June regarding the rain shortage.  
The water spent daily in the city is 2.6 million meter cubes, said Eroğlu, reiterating to conserve water when possible.

“It will be useful for our citizens to conserve water. Saving water is in our culture. Use the water without wasting it,” said Eroğlu giving some tips about the conserving water at home.

How to brush teeth

“Particularly young people should learn not to brush their teeth while the tap is not available,” he said. Eroğlu also said the Istanbul Waterworks Authority (İSKİ) is taking the necessary measures against
those who use tap water...