The average water levels of reservoirs supplying Istanbul have risen to 58.03% after recent rainfall in the city, according to data from the Istanbul Water and Sewage Administration (ISKI).
Reservoir levels, which had plummeted to 17.12% last year, have recovered steadily in recent weeks, reflecting the impact of ongoing precipitation. Since the start of the year, Istanbul’s reservoirs have received 346.32 millimeters of rainfall, with water levels increasing by 12.07% over the last 14 days.
The Elmalı Reservoir has reached full capacity at 100%, while the Istrancalar Reservoir stands at 99.47%. Other key reservoirs recorded the following levels: Ömerli 81.65%, Darlık 73.63%, Alibey 52.75%, Terkos 42.94%, Büyükçekmece 42.72%, Sazlıdere 35.62%, Kazandere 60.16%, and Pabuçdere 30.64%.
Overall, Istanbul’s reservoirs and ponds have a combined storage capacity of 868.68 million cubic meters, with the current water volume measured at 503.65 million cubic meters.
In addition to reservoirs, the city has received 179.81 million cubic meters of water from the Melen River and 72.04 million cubic meters from Yeşilçay this year, totaling 251.86 million cubic meters. Daily water consumption in Istanbul reached 3.103 million cubic meters on Sunday, with the majority supplied from external regulators.
Despite the recent gains, ISKI notes that today’s levels remain the second lowest in the last decade for this period. Historical data show that March reservoir levels ranged between 39.3% and 93.91% over the past ten years.
The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM) reported that continuous rainfall since Friday night deposited 54 to 93 kilograms of precipitation per square meter, contributing significantly to the reservoir recovery.
