PodcastIstanbul's dam reservoirs hit decade-low at 18 pct occupancy rate
Turkey's megacity Istanbul's dam reservoirs have reached their lowest level in ten years, with a mere 18% occupancy rate. An alarming eight out of ten dams were below ten percent of their capacity.
The occupancy rate of the ten dams supplying water to Istanbul dropped to 18.07 percent as of Nov. 1 amid the prolonged drought the megacity has been experiencing since the beginning of summer, according to Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (İSKİ).
Dam occupancy rates for the same months in previous years have reached a ten-year low. Reservoirs now hold a total of 157 million cubic meters of water, marking the lowest level in a decade.
In eight of the 10 dams supplying water to Istanbul, the occupancy rate fell below ten per cent. Pabuçdere, Kazandere, Istırancalar, Sazlıdere, Elmalıdere dams came to the brink of drying up with occupancy rates falling below two percent.
The drying up of the stream that supplies water to Büyükçekmece Lake, whose occupancy rate was measured at 3.76%, has resulted in some parts of the lake becoming swampy, while cracks have formed in other sections. İSKİ has announced that it suspended water intake from the reservoir.