As historic summer heat waves and bone-dry air sweep across Türkiye, the massive reservoirs supplying Istanbul and Ankara are rapidly retreating, testing the resilience of the vital water networks that sustain the country’s two largest metropolises.
Overall dam levels in Ankara stood at 46 percent on July 15, according to the Ankara Water and Sewerage Authority (ASKİ).
More critically, the capital’s active volume — the actual water available for municipal use — has slipped to 40 percent. The Çamlıdere dam, a major source for the city, is hovering at just 41 percent, while the situation is even more acute at the Türkşerefli reservoir, where water levels have plummeted to 10 percent.
Water levels across other local reservoirs show stark disparities. While Kesikköprü remains at full capacity and Eğrekkaya holds strong at 77 percent, reserves at Kurtboğazı and Peçenek have dwindled to approximately 34 percent and 30 percent, respectively.
Concurrently, data from the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Authority (İSKİ) reveals that Istanbul’s average water levels have dipped below the 60 percent threshold.
The Terkos and Istırancalar dams are among the hardest hit in the region, with both recording storage levels around 28 percent.
While the Elmalı reservoir remains highly filled at 89 percent capacity, water levels across the rest of the network vary significantly, dropping to 42 percent at Büyükçekmece and down to just 31 percent at Pabuçdere.
