Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, which has implemented important projects in combating climate change and drought, from renewing the infrastructure to protecting existing resources, from afforestation to the use of renewable energy resources, continues its work at full speed to bring Çınarcık Dam water to the city. Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Alinur Aktaş, Bursa Deputy Mustafa Varank, AK Party Provincial Chairman Davut Gürkan, MHP Provincial Chairman Muhammet Tekin, DSI Regional Manager İnan Gündüz, İller Bankası Bursa Regional Manager Derya attended the ceremony held for the construction of the line that will deliver drinking water to the city. İnal, BUSKİ General Manager Güngör Gülenç, AK Party Nilüfer Mayor candidate Celil Çolak and BUSKİ bureaucrats attended.
“WE WERE NOT LEFT THIRST EVEN A DAY”
Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Alinur Aktaş said that life continues with water and the usage areas of water cover the whole life. Stating that they made an important note in the history of Bursa, Mayor Aktaş said that he was very happy both as the mayor and as a citizen. Stating that everyone knows that there will be water wars one day, Mayor Aktaş said, “Water is not an option as much as it used to be in the world and in Turkey. According to researchers, the amount of water available to humans is less than 1 percent of the total water availability in the world. When the temperature increases and decreases in precipitation caused by global climate changes are added to these, the gravity of the situation becomes clear. As Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, we carry out many studies on the supply of healthy drinking water and the purification of wastewater and its release to nature in a way that does not pose a threat to human and environmental health. 90 percent of our city's water needs are met from Doğancı and Nilüfer dams, and 10 percent from Uludağ spring sources. Doğancı Dam has an annual water volume capacity of 110 million cubic meters, and Nilüfer Dam has an annual water volume capacity of 60 million cubic meters. 15 million cubic meters of water can be taken annually from the water resources originating from Uludağ and its foothills. We can get 185 million cubic meters of water in total. Especially in case of drought in the summer, 155 deep wells can be put into operation, and we have an annual capacity of 55 million cubic meters of water in these wells. "As a matter of fact, during the years 2019 and 2022, when the drought was at its peak, we did not leave our citizens of Bursa without water for even a day by using well water," he said.
“13 THOUSAND KILOMETERS DRINKING WATER LINE MANUFACTURING”
Stating that they provide various information about water saving and conscious use of water in every medium, Mayor Aktaş reminded that BUSKİ, which delivers healthy drinking water to more than 1 million 500 thousand subscribers, reduced the loss and illegality rate of drinking water in the central districts to below 20 percent, thanks to its infrastructure investments. Stating that they are the first in Turkey in preventing water loss and leakage and that they crowned their success by receiving an award from First Lady Erdoğan in January 2023, Aktaş stated that they were able to monitor 979 different points in Bursa with the Scada management system and immediately intervene in the points where water loss and leakage was detected. Mayor Aktaş stated that they set an example for all water administrations in producing their own energy with the Hes, Ges and Sludge Incineration Plants they built, and said, “We provide 17 percent of our energy from our renewable energy facilities. We truly underline our promise of 'We are an environmentally friendly municipality' and provide wastewater treatment to cover 93 percent of Bursa. We are the water and canal administration that received the highest number of quality certificates from TSE, with 8. Among all water and canal administrations, we were the first to receive 2 quality certificates in Turkey and the first in Bursa. In addition, our current laboratories are internationally qualified. We are first among all water and canal administrations with the number of 2 parameters we accredit in the laboratory. We increase this number to over 299 within a month. We will break our own record. A total of approximately 400 thousand kilometers of drinking water lines were manufactured by BUSKİ between 1989 and 2023. We increased the number of irrigation ponds and facilities for the efficiency and diversification of agricultural production in Bursa, the agricultural city. 13 biological wastewater treatment plants, 17 drinking water treatment plants, 4 packaged wastewater treatment plants, 52 packaged drinking water treatment plants, 38 pesticide tanks/pools, 315 water tanks, 340 irrigation facilities, 85 we have a pond. "BUSKİ's work is a source of pride for us," he said.
“WE WILL FINISH IN THE SECOND HALF OF 2025”
Stating that when the Çınarcık Drinking Water Project, which will be the 'lifeline' in meeting the city's water needs, is completed, Bursa will not have a water shortage until 2060, Aktaş said that 75 million cubic meters of drinking water and 70 million cubic meters of potable water will be provided annually from Çınarcık Dam to BUSKİ. He stated that a total of 145 million cubic meters of water was allocated annually. Reminding that their projects were carried out by DSI and that they signed a loan agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the French Development Agency in order to realize the investments, Aktaş said, “We tendered the project for 130 million euros. Within the scope of the project, we will build 68 km transmission line, 3 water tanks and a drinking water treatment facility with a daily capacity of 300 thousand cubic meters. We hope to finish it in the second half of 2025. We have already started production. Some of the pipes we will use in the transmission line that will carry the project, which will be a lifeline to Bursa, to the city have a huge diameter of 2 meters and 20 cm. We continue on our way by breaking our own records and raising our service bar even higher every day. “I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the project,” he said.
Bursa Deputy Mustafa Varank said that water and roads are civilization. Explaining that they have started an investment that will affect the future of Bursa, Varank said, “Metropolitan Mayor Alinur Aktaş is making efforts to plan the 2060s of this city. He acts and serves responsibly towards this city. If a person does not just show off, does not invest only above ground, but also makes an investment underground that the citizens in need of this city will never see, that person is the right person. We are making an investment that will save Bursa in 2060, bring healthy water to the city and ensure that future generations will not suffer from water shortage. With this investment, Bursa will never talk about water from now on. If you bring water more easily with new projects, you can give retirees a 25 percent discount on water. We will continue to serve this city. "I wish the project good luck," he said.
After the speeches, Mayor Alinur Aktaş, Deputy Mustafa Varank and their entourage welded the steel pipes on the line that will deliver drinking water from Çınarcık Dam to the city.
