Turkey will use four new advanced biological treatment facilities to protect Lake Tuz (Tuz Gölü in Turkish, which means Salt Lake) against the danger of pollution, announced the Mayor of Konya Metropolitan Municipality.
Foundations were laid for the treatment plants to be built in Konya's Kulu and Cihanbeyli districts. The facilities will ensure that untreated wastewater will not be released into Lake Tuz, which is Turkey's second-largest lake.
"We will have carried out advanced biological treatment here. Hopefully, the wastewater in Ömeranlı will be reliably discharged into Lake Tuz after treatment. It is our duty to protect the salt lake and protect the environment," Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay said.
Turkey's famous Lake Tuz meets 70% of the country's salt needs. Salt extracted from the lake is exported to more than 60 countries.
Lake Tuz is also one of the shallowest lakes in Turkey, with a depth of around half a meter (1.6 feet) in most parts. Although the water level drops in the summer, the lake expands to cover 1,665 square kilometers (643 square miles) in the spring.
The salt lake's wetland is now one of the world's most important flamingo nesting grounds due to the presence of algae in the lake area.
