The average occupancy rate of reservoirs supplying water to Istanbul continues to rise following recent rainfall, reaching 40.48%, according to official data.
Figures released by the Istanbul Water and Sewage Administration (ISKI) show that reservoir levels, which had dropped to 17.12% on Dec. 7, have recovered steadily due to increased precipitation in recent weeks.
Since the beginning of the year, 207.36 millimeters of rainfall have been recorded across the city’s water basins. This has resulted in a 6.75% increase in reservoir occupancy over the past 14 days, pushing the overall fill rate to 40.48% as of today.
Reservoir-specific data indicate varying levels across Istanbul. Water levels stand at 56.64% in Ömerli, 58.75% in Darlık, 89.46% in Elmalı, 25.84% in Terkos, 34.23% in Alibey, 29.19% in Büyükçekmece, 25.44% in Sazlıdere, 74.42% in Istrancalar, 39.42% in Kazandere and 23.42% in Pabuçdere.
The reservoirs and ponds supplying the city have a combined storage capacity of 868.683 million cubic meters, while the current volume of stored water is measured at 351.32 million cubic meters.
In addition to reservoir supplies, Istanbul has received significant water input from external sources this year. A total of 94.57 million cubic meters was transferred from the Melen system, while 41.81 million cubic meters came from Yeşilçay, bringing the total supplementary supply to 136.38 million cubic meters.
Daily water consumption in Istanbul reached 2.996 million cubic meters on Tuesday. According to ISKI, all water delivered to the city during that period was sourced from the Melen and Yeşilçay regulators.
Despite the recent increase driven by rainfall, current reservoir levels remain the second-lowest recorded for the same period over the past decade, underscoring continued concerns over water availability in Istanbul.
In recent months, reservoirs supplying water to Istanbul dropped to critically low levels, with overall occupancy falling below 20% last November, marking one of the lowest rates in years amid prolonged dry conditions and scant rainfall.
