Mobilization Against Water Waste

The General Directorate of Water Management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has launched a mobilization to prevent water wastage, which is one of the causes of water scarcity. In this context, training and awareness activities will be carried out to cover all segments of society, from housewives to students, from farmers to industrialists. In addition, used wastewater will be reused. It has been determined that there is a total of 7,2 billion cubic meters of treated wastewater potential in Turkey and 44 percent of this can be reused.

The General Directorate of Water Management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry develops various projects to prevent water waste, which is one of the causes of water scarcity. Within the scope of urban water uses; According to the data declared by the municipalities, the average water loss rate in the drinking water supply and distribution systems in Turkey for 2021 was calculated as 33,5 percent.

With the 'Regulation on Control of Water Losses in Drinking Water Supply and Distribution Systems' published in 2014, it is aimed to reduce these losses up to 25 percent. Municipalities and water administrations annually send and record information on urban water uses and losses to the General Directorate of Water Management, and water losses are tracked on a municipal basis.

TOTAL MOBILIZATION WILL BE STARTED

In individual water uses, up to 93 liters of water is wasted per person per day due to unconscious use. Public service announcements and social media films prepared by the General Directorate are used to raise awareness about the efficient use of water for users. Within the scope of the water efficiency mobilization, it is aimed to raise awareness for the efficient use of water in all water user groups by conducting one-to-one activities for women and children, who are the groups that use water the most. 'Water Efficiency Mobilization' activities will be launched with the slogan 'Zero wastage in water' in order to increase awareness of water efficiency and water saving in the country and to accelerate the taking of action by all sectors. In this context, a 2023 training campaign will be initiated, taking into account the needs of farmers, including conscious irrigation and developing technology applications, specific to the basins, by taking the use of water in agriculture among the priorities. It is aimed that the national campaign, which is planned for the more efficient use of water, to be adopted by the citizens and to be put into practice, through training, awareness, workshops, meetings, field events, and the reward system to cover all segments of the society, from housewives to students, from farmers to industrialists.

WATER SAVING WILL BE ENCOURAGED

The ultimate goal is to minimize consumption by using water efficiently, while meeting the needs of the citizens in industry, agriculture, homes and businesses, and to maintain their lives in a prosperous way without the pressure of water stress, without sacrificing any water needs. In addition to all these, it is aimed that the consumers understand the costs and difficulties of the process, from the source to the user, and from the process until it is purified and returned to the nature after it is used. Raising awareness on this issue and reflecting this cost to users appropriately will encourage more efficient use of water resources. It is also important to consider the solvency and willingness of the subscribers while determining the tariffs in this process. Designing tariffs through volume-based tiered pricing will encourage water savings. Studies are carried out within the scope of pricing methods that encourage efficient use.

USED ​​WATER WILL BE REUSED

Within the scope of the 'Evaluation of Reuse Alternatives for Used Water Project' carried out by the General Directorate of Water Management, the used water potential in the country was also determined, and the usage areas were determined according to the water potential. With the evaluation of all used water resources, annually 3,3 billion cubic meters of water is used in agricultural irrigation, 49 million cubic meters of water in landscape irrigation, 378 million cubic meters of water in industry, 2 billion cubic meters of water in environmental use, 57 million cubic meters of water in the feeding of underground water resources and 34 million cubic meters of water in the feeding of underground water resources. It was suggested to be evaluated for indirect use as drinking water. It has been determined that there is a total of 7,2 billion cubic meters of treated wastewater potential in Turkey and 44 percent of this can be reused. Of the 3,2 billion cubic meters of water that can be reused, 65 percent is used in agricultural irrigation, 22 percent in environmental use, 10 percent in industry, 2 percent in groundwater feeding, 1 percent in landscape irrigation, and 0,1 percent in landscape irrigation. It was evaluated that it could be used for feeding drinking water sources. It has been determined that the water returned from agricultural irrigation in Turkey is 3,2 billion cubic meters and that 66 percent of the said potential can be reused. It was determined that 2,1 percent of the 64 billion cubic meters of water that can be reused can be used for agricultural irrigation and 36 percent for environmental use.

MINISTER KRISCI: WATER IS CIVILIZATION

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Vahit Kirişci stated that with the motto 'Water is a civilization', they are making an intense effort to bring water to the nation in the most efficient way without wasting even a drop of the resources of the country, and said, "The General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies of our Ministry and State Hydraulic Works. In addition, the 'Irrigation Management and Plant Water Consumption System', developed in cooperation with the university, is one of our most innovative projects, through which our farmers can report when and how much irrigation they can irrigate via the web. Likewise, since 2007, when individual irrigation systems grant support started throughout Turkey, 42 thousand 531 projects have provided irrigation of 3 million 951 thousand 280 decares of land with modern irrigation systems. Again, researches are carried out at the Drought Test Center, which is a center of excellence operating within TAGEM, to ensure that our farmers do not experience product loss due to drought.”

'WE WILL NOT LEAVE ANY OF OUR CITIES TOGETHER WITH WATER STRESS'

Emphasizing that they will not leave any city alone with drinking water shortages, Minister Kirişci said, “The Yusufeli Dam, which we will be opening very soon, will be a masterpiece that will be the 5th in the world in its field and best describes the point Turkish engineering has reached. We realize such big projects in order not to let our water, that is, our future, flow through our fingers. We have planned the drinking water needs of our provinces for 20 years, 30 years and even 50 years with the drinking water action plans that we have prepared and updated according to changing conditions over time. We have not left any of our cities alone with drinking water problems, and we will not leave them.”