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Istanbul Dams Drop to 45.55% Capacity Amid Summer Heat
๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท Turkey /Environment & Climate

Istanbul Dams Drop to 45.55% Capacity Amid Summer Heat

From Cumhuriyet · () Turkish

Translated from Turkish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • Istanbul's dam water levels have dropped to 45.55% as of August 26, 2026.
  • This decline follows a drop from 58.68% in mid-July, attributed to high evaporation and increased water consumption during summer.
  • Western basin dams are critically low, while eastern dams like ร–merli and Elmalฤฑ continue to supply most of the city's water.

Istanbul's dam water levels have fallen to a concerning 45.55% as of August 26, 2026, according to the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (ฤฐSKฤฐ). This marks a significant decrease from the 58.68% recorded in mid-July.

The sharp decline is attributed to the intense summer heat, leading to high evaporation rates, and a surge in water consumption across the city. While dams on the Anatolian side, such as ร–merli and Elmalฤฑ, continue to bear the brunt of supplying water, those on the European side are facing critical shortages.

Specifically, dams like Istrancalar, Pabuรงdere, and Sazlฤฑdere on the European side have fallen below crucial levels. Individual dam levels show ร–merli at 65.34%, Darlฤฑk at 64.14%, Elmalฤฑ at 75.42%, Terkos at 40.01%, Alibey at 45.09%, Bรผyรผkรงekmece at 32.69%, Sazlฤฑdere at 26.84%, Istrancalar at 30.27%, Kazandere at 19.78%, and Pabuรงdere at a mere 11.72%.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Cumhuriyet in Turkish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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