Türkiye’s latest water and wastewater figures show a continued rise in extraction and discharge volumes, underscoring pressure from energy and industrial operations, according to newly released Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) data.
Total water withdrawal climbed to 20.3 billion cubic meters (5.36 trillion gallons) in 2024, up from 19.2 billion cubic meters in 2022. More than half of this amount, 54.6%, came from seawater, with 93.8% of that allocated to cooling needs at thermal power facilities. Freshwater represented 45.4% of total withdrawal, led by municipalities, which accounted for 81% of all freshwater access.
Wastewater discharge reached 17.2 billion cubic meters, with 75.9% flowing into seas and 19.5% into rivers. Cooling water again dominated the output, making up 80.1% of all wastewater discharged into marine environments, while thermal plants alone were responsible for 50.2% of total discharge volumes.
Treatment performance remained a stabilizing variable. Excluding cooling volumes, 78.3% of wastewater was treated before release, an indicator of steady compliance alignment with national and EU-grade water standards. Municipal wastewater networks continued to provide broad coverage, reaching 98.8% of urban residents.
Municipal consumption metrics recorded a 255-liter (67-gallon) daily per capita average for potable water supply, while wastewater discharge averaged 210 liters. Istanbul reported the highest per capita discharge among major cities, reflecting dense population and industrial load factors.
