Ekrem İmamoğlu attended the opening ceremony of the Water Control and Automation Center (İSKOM) founded for the execution of modern water management in İstanbul. This new structure to serve within the body of İSKİ will be monitoring the entire process of water’s delivery to the inhabitants from the water sources.
IMM Secretary-General Can Akın Çağlar, İSKİ General Manager Raif Mermutlu and executive management of IMM remained at the İSKOM ceremony held at the facility at Alibeyköy.
RAİF MERMUTLU: “WE ARE MANAGING OVER 1 BILLION CUBIC METERS OF WATER PER YEAR”
Rair Mermutlu, İSKİ General Director, informed the participants on İSKOM’s work scope and activities. Mermutlu stated that İstanbul was among the few cities globally with its water production capacity of a daily average of 3 million cubic meters and 1 billion and 100 million cubic meters per year.
Mermutlu underlined that 65% of İstanbul’s water resources remained at the Anatolian side. İSKİ General Director said that in comparison, the remaining 35% were located on the European side and continued, “The population’s proportion is exactly the opposite of this rate. Therefore, due to demand fluctuation, ‘intercontinental water transfer’ becomes inevitable in İstanbul. In addition to water transfer between the water basins, the management of the city’s treatment facilities, water reservoirs, large-scale water transport pipes, pumping stations and dams bears great importance in İstanbul, where yearly over 1 billion cubic meters of water is managed. The entire management process is being conducted uninterruptedly.” On İSKOM, Mermutlu shared the following information:
“Equipped with smart systems, this center aims to control the process of water’s collection from the source throughout its purification, pumping and distribution to the end-users and its adventure as wastewater comprising of collection, disinfection and discharge stages by after being collected as wastewater, disinfection and discharge.”
Mermutlu noted that they were capable of the instantaneous monitoring of all water sources, fourteen potable water sources, and purification facilities. Mermutlu stated that these points were located over 400km stretching from Istrancalar to Melen in İstanbul and added, “The entire water process from the spring to the tap can be tracked online and intervened when required. This center enables monitoring all details in the system, ranging from the amount of rainfall in each basin to instant energy consumption.”
Delivering a speech at the launch ceremony, Ekrem İmamoğlu expressed their happiness to gain such prominent center to 16 million İstanbulites by launching İSKOM. Underlining that the center will be operating 24/7, İmamoğlu said, “This center can track İstanbul’s entire water management process, the actions of water, its journey, its distribution.”
“WE ARE WILLING TO LOWER THE LOSS AND LEAKAGE RATE TO 15%”
In his speech, İmamoğlu stated that İstanbul’s rate of water loss and leakage remained at 22,5% and continued:
“Substantial amount of efforts have been exerted to reach this level. My colleagues informed me that this level remained around 28% in 2003. They strived to decrease this rate by 5,5% to achieve the current figures, yet we need to work for more. We are quite sensitive about this matter, and with our colleagues, we are determined to lower the rate to 15% quite rapidly. Surely, these levels are quite critical. Zero leakage does not exist. There are certain levels across the world. Cities claiming to be the best have levels that are slightly over 10%. However, we are aware that we need to achieve lower levels immediately. All our technical activities are focused on attaining this decrease. There should be no doubt about this.”
“A WATER SAVING BOARD FOUNDED”
Declaring that they founded a Water Saving Board with the participation of İSKİ General Manager and IMM Secretary-General to build cooperation, İmamoğlu shared information on this Board:
“I instructed them to identify the outline of the messages we need to convey to the İstanbulites. Another point our colleagues need to focus on is the stakeholders of this matter. In a sense, our 16 million citizens is the primary stakeholder. The second stakeholder group comprises institutions, organizations, businesses, etc., with high water consumption levels. Our colleagues will be rapidly working perhaps on the information campaigns and early warning mechanisms on these issues. Is that all? No. I requested negotiations to be conducted with the manufacturers of water-related devices and fixtures we are all using in certain environments. In a sense, the whole issue starts at that point and then moves onto the businesses and organizations linked with mechanical installations. In other words, it is an integrated journey. Our colleagues will form a board to enable a lasting solution to such matters. We have quite helpful technical staff with great know-how and experience. There will be external colleagues to join us in our journey. Also, the NGOs, professional organizations, sector representatives will be included. We wish to build a tough road map with them.”
SAVING 150 THOUSAND CUBIC METERS OF WATER
: İmamoğlu noted that they achieved a water-saving around 4% in a short period upon the campaigns they conducted for saving water and added that this rate represented a daily water saving of over 150 thousand cubic meters. İmamoğlu continued:
“Many businesses are closed. So this saving may be attributed to this development. Still, we interpret these figures according to the developments in the last one and a half month. This state indicates that we may achieve our goals even with minor water savings. We should take note of this. We invite our citizens to cooperate in this process where we need to be utterly careful. We expect our small children at home – in my opinion, they will be the most determined and stable residents – to lower the amount of water they use, invite the executives and owners of major companies, executives of the organizations to be sensitive about this issue.”
“WE SHALL CONTINUE TO RAISE AWARENESS”
Underlining that one may achieve substantial water saving through measures adopted at home, İmamoğlu expressed that as IMM and İSKİ they will continue to raise awareness and call out for water-saving.
İmamoğlu pointed out to the following measures to be adopted at home:
“I will talk about simple measures. The measures we need to take when we brush our teeth wash our hands, or wait for the water to heat up before the shower…There are toilets with huge reservoirs that cause high amounts of water loss. Substantially, 25% of the loss is caused by consumption in toilets. The moves we will make are essential, as they will provide high levels of outputs. Therefore we need to work on this issue altogether. As İSKİ, we have been presenting fixtures as gifts to all our subscribers, particularly those with high water consumption. These fixtures balance the flow of the water and hamper its flow rate. It is a small gift, yet we need to extend it. I also expect our citizens to turn off the faucets and check whether their water meters are still functioning. If the meters are working when the faucets are off, then there is a leakage, and they immediately have to take a step to fix it. I wish for İstanbul and for our entire country to experience a period with more rainfall and snow. Still, in reality, as the entire human race, we do not treat our earth kindly.”
