A prolonged dry spell and heatwave have left major reservoirs in the northwestern province of Tekirdag dry, leaving some households without water for weeks, Reuters reports.
Authorities have described the drought as critical, with some provinces reporting limited fresh water supplies this summer.
Water restrictions have been imposed in several areas of Turkey’s third-largest province, Izmir, while the main water reservoir in the western province of Usak has been drained and water will be available for six hours a day.
The Turkish Meteorological Service said July rain fell 71% less than a year earlier across the country. The Marmara region, which includes Tekirdag and Istanbul, received just 5% of its monthly average in July. Turkey’s overall rainfall this year was 26% lower, making it the driest year in 52 years.
The water level in Tekirdag’s Naip Dam has dropped to zero,
and there has been no rain in June or July. This has forced authorities to look for other ways to ensure water supply, such as diverting water from irrigation systems to households. According to the Turkish State Water Supply Agency, the Naypa Dam’s reservoir was 21% full in August 2024.
Mehmet Ali Sismanlar, head of Tekirdag’s Water and Sewerage Authority (TESKI), said that rainfall in Tekirdag has been decreasing steadily over the past decade, and the drought of the past two years has led to regular water restrictions this summer. He noted that Tekirdag is the province most affected by drought and linked the situation to climate change. The Turkmenli Dam reservoir, which is normally intended for rural irrigation, is being used to supply water to areas where there is a shortage of water. TESKI has also started digging wells to draw water from underground sources, which is not normally done. Sismanlar said the water is now twice as deep as it was a few years ago.
Mehmet, a 70-year-old resident of the Dereagzi neighborhood, told Reuters that his house has been without water for two months, making it impossible to shower or clean the house. His family carries water in large bottles. Standing among dirty dishes in his kitchen, he said he has been living in squalor for two months and the last time he showered was when he went to Istanbul, 130 kilometers away.
Another local resident said he takes his laundry to Istanbul to be washed and no longer intends to live in Tekirdag. He said he would leave soon because there was no water at all in Tekirdag.
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