Istanbul Boosts Water Security with New Melen Dam Pumping Station

İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi’s water authority ISKI has addressed the structural cracks and reduced storage capacity at the Melen Dam by completing the Melen 3 pumping station within a year. Since 2023 the facility delivers about 750,000 cubic metres of water daily, having transferred a total of 123 million cubic metres to the city. The project, highlighted by a statement that “Melen 3 nolu Terfi Merkezi’nden İstanbul’a Günlük 750 Bin Metreküp Su Basılıyor,” also includes storage at the Cumhuriyet Treatment Plant and a 15‑km pipeline to the Bosphorus inlet, alongside additional water imports from Düzce and Kocaeli.

Meanwhile ISKI reports that Istanbul’s ten reservoirs hold roughly 68 % of their combined 868 million‑cubic‑metre capacity, down slightly after recent rain. Ömerli and Elmalı reservoirs remain above 90 % full, but several others stay below 60 %, keeping water‑security alerts active for the metropolis of over 16 million residents.