While there is a water problem in Turkey, why do local government candidates not explain their water management policies?

Approximately half of our mains water does not reach our fountains. A solution requires technology-supported loss and theft management and a new financing model.

In the "Comparative Performance Evaluation among Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Administrations" report published by the Turkish Water Institute (SUEN) in June 2022, the average water loss and illegality rate of 26 metropolitan cities was given as 40%.

When other cities are taken into account, the average water loss and leakage rate in city networks in our country is between 40% and 50%. This rate is an average value and reaches up to 60-70% in some provinces and districts. In addition to water losses due to old water networks in cities, there is also illegal water use that cannot be accrued.

According to the data of the water administrations of the 26 metropolitan cities included in the SU EN Report, 56% of the amount of water supplied to the network consists of invoiced authorized water consumption, 4% is unbilled authorized water consumption, 11% is administrative losses and 29% is physical losses. In this direction; Considering the declared data, the average revenue-generating and non-revenue-generating rates of water entering the system are 56% and 44%, respectively. In other words, in many metropolitan cities, an average of 44% of the water entering the system does not generate income.

Metropolitan cities have 27 million subscribers

Considering that the total number of subscribers served by the Water and Sewerage Administrations of the 30 Metropolitan Cities operating in our country exceeds 27 million, it has been determined that the total annual economic loss due to water losses in our metropolitan cities exceeds 10.5 billion TL at 2020 prices. In addition to this economic loss, we can say that the problem is a huge one because we lose a very important and vital natural resource such as water before it reaches our fountains.

In general, approximately 7 billion cubic meters of purified, clean drinking and utility water is supplied to the network in our cities annually. On average, 3 billion cubic meters of this water is lost before it reaches the fountains.

Why is the loss and theft rate high in our cities?

We can assume that our loss and leakage rate in the water networks of all our cities is 50% on average. As stated in the SU EN Report, one third of average losses and leakages consist of physical losses. The main reason for these losses is increased water demand and water leakage from outdated water networks due to high pressure in the system. In addition, problems such as lack of GIS and SCADA systems, insufficient technical personnel and lack of maintenance and repair are the reasons that increase the rate of loss and theft.

In most of our metropolitan cities, very important studies have been carried out for the last 10 years to detect and eliminate losses and leaks in water networks. However, in cities with very old water networks, the pipes in the network need to be renewed to eliminate this problem. This involves difficulties such as replacing thousands of kilometers of lines and also finding the necessary financing for this. In addition, local governments' prioritization of visible investments that will provide prestige above ground rather than underground infrastructure investments also slows down progress in this regard.

What should be done?

The first regulation for local governments to reduce water loss and leakage was published in 2014. The loss and theft reduction targets specified in this regulation have not been achieved. For this reason, the Regulation on Amending the Regulation on Control of Water Losses in Drinking Water Supply and Distribution Systems was published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in 2019. In this regulation;

“Metropolitan and provincial municipalities will reduce water losses to a maximum of 30% by 2023 and a maximum of 25% by 2028; Other municipalities are obliged to reduce water losses to a maximum of 35% by 2023, a maximum of 30% by 2028, and a maximum of 25% by 2033.” It has been said.

In addition, in order to achieve these targets, more support should be provided by the central government and Iller Bank, especially to municipalities that have difficulty in finding investment loans.

In addition, administrations' periodic realizations of water losses and action plans to reduce water losses should be made public. Providing performance-based incentives, rewards or privileges by the central government to administrations that achieve the water loss targets stipulated in the regulation will also increase the motivation of water managements.

The institutional capacity of Water and Sewerage Administrations should be strengthened and their technological infrastructure should be improved. In this context, with the Smart Water Cycle System, even the slightest changes in water quality in the drinking water network system can be detected in real time. Thus, it is possible to provide quality drinking water, put an end to water waste, prevent water from being wasted, and reduce the loss-leakage rate to less than 15 percent.

For this reason, by using water management technology, It is necessary to establish an OJ-supported loss and theft management infrastructure, to create a financing model to make these investments, and to develop cooperation between the central government and local governments.

If water losses are prevented;

• Protection of water resources

• Reducing water supply and transmission costs,

• Increasing revenues for new investment projects

• It will be possible for investments to amortize themselves in a short time.

Additionally, municipalities can increase water supply efficiency and water revenues by reducing losses in the drinking water network system. Before the upcoming local government elections, candidates should explain their realistic projects and financing models on this issue.

Water management is not just flowing water from fountains. In addition, water management aims to make the city more resilient to sudden floods, to prevent loss of life in these floods, to reuse wastewater after advanced biological treatment, to support rainwater harvesting, to develop pilot projects using gray water with dual water networks in urban transformation, to introduce the sponge city concept. Accordingly, they have duties and responsibilities in many matters such as feeding groundwater and using large park areas as natural solution areas to prevent sudden floods. We expect an increase in local government candidates who will make statements on these issues.