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A severe drought in Türkiye’s northwestern province of Tekirdağ has depleted the region’s main dams of potable water, straining infrastructure and leaving some households without supply for weeks amid a sharp nationwide drop in rainfall this year.
Authorities say drought is a critical issue, with several provinces warning of limited fresh water supply this summer.
Various areas in Izmir, Türkiye’s third-most populous province, have experienced frequent water cuts this month, while the municipality in the western province of Uşak was told over the weekend it would have access to water just six hours a day, with the main water reservoir depleted.
Rainfall slumped 71% in July across the country from a year ago, according to Türkiye’s Meteorological Service. In the Marmara region, which includes Tekirdağ and Istanbul, it shrank 95% below the monthly norm in July.
In the 10 months leading up to August, precipitation sank 32% in Marmara compared to the norm, while it fell 26% across Türkiye to the lowest in 52 years.
Alternatives
The water level in Tekirdağ’s Naip Dam, which has not seen any rainfall in June and July, fell to zero in August.
That has forced authorities to find alternatives like delivering irrigation water for domestic use and building a pump system for delivery into urban areas.
The dam’s water level was 21% this time last year, according to the State Hydraulic Works.
Mehmet Ali Şişmanlar, head of Tekirdağ’s Water and Sewerage Administration (TESKI), said rainfall in the province has reduced dramatically over the past decade, and severe drought over the last two years has spurred frequent water cuts in some areas this summer.
“We are the area and the province that has been affected the most by the drought in Türkiye,” he said, attributing it to climate change.
The water in the Türkmenli dam, usually used for irrigation, was used to supply water to Tekirdağ’s Marmaraereğlisi district, where some neighborhoods faced water cuts.
TESKI was working to open new wells to use groundwater, not usually a preferred measure, Şişmanlar said. He said groundwater had sunk to twice below its original depth over the years.
Mehmet, 70, a resident who lives in the Dereağzı neighborhood with his family, said their home has had no water for two months, leaving them unable to shower or perform chores, and they were fetching water from nearby areas in large bottles.
“I have been living in filth for the past two months,” he said, standing among dirty piles of dishes in the kitchen, and adding that he last showered when he went to Istanbul, around 130 kilometers (81 miles) away.
His wife, Fatma, 65, said the family stayed up at night to fill up bottles in case the water supply is resumed.
Remzi Karabaş, 71, said he takes his laundry to Istanbul to be washed, but is done with living in Tekirdağ.
“We’ll leave some day soon. What can we do here? Water does not flow at all.”
