Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Vahit Kirişçi, who attended the "Drinking Water and Wastewater Management" event in Ankara, on Monday announced that 2.6 billion cubic meters (bcm) of drinking water will be provided with the implementation of 53 new projects as the country faces loss and leakage of drinking water primarily due to low precipitation in last months.

Talking at the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSI) conference Kirişci drew attention to the loss of water and said: "Türkiye's average of loss and leakage is around 33%. We need to bring this rate down quickly."

Stating that the DSI produces 386 projects and provides 5 billion cubic meters of drinking water per year, Kirişci said that 53 more projects will be implemented and another 2.6 billion cubic meters of drinking water will be provided.

Emphasizing the effective use of drinking water and recycling of wastewater, Kirişci said: "Your share in the workshop will guide and provide guidance on wastewater management," while pointing out that the number of provinces that drink tap water should be expanded. He also noted that water awareness sensitivity when it comes to its rational usage should be improved.

Some 386 drinking water facilities were completed throughout Türkiye, providing drinking water to 50 million people. Additionally, as a result of the studies carried out with an emphasis on the treatment and reuse of wastewater, 322,000 cubic meters of water per day have been purified by 24 wastewater treatment plants so that the water can be used for agricultural purposes as well.