İSKİ Put into Service the Largest Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant in Türkiye

Türkiye’s largest advanced biological treatment plant was put into operation by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality to treat 650,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day. The plant opened by the Mayor of İstanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, will serve to roughly 2 million 600 thousand residents in Tuzla, Pendik, Kartal and Maltepe districts. Thanks to newly built advanced biological treatment stage, pollutants in the wastewater will be removed, thereby preserving environment, public health and marine life of the Sea of Marmara.

Within the scope of “150 Projects in 150 Days” marathon of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), the 3^rd stage of İSKİ Tuzla Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant was put into operation with an opening ceremony attended by the Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem İmamoğlu and İSKİ General Director Dr. Şafak Başa.

“WE MADE 8 MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS”

Noting that they realized 8 large projects, İmamoğlu said “We are about to complete Baltalimanı Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant. We finalized Hasdal Solid Waste Transfer Station, Silivri Seymen Landfill Leachate Treatment Plant and Şile Drinking Water Treatment Plant. Besides, we are commencing the constructions of Yenikapı Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant, Beykoz Riva Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant and Sarıyer Kilyos Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant. These are projects we will start and finish for Istanbul within the upcoming period. We certainly appreciate the scientific and technically feasible projects initiated before us, and make an effort to complete them as soon as possible.”

İSKİ GENERAL DIRECTOR DR. ŞAFAK BAŞA: WE MADE AN INVESTMENT OF 2 BILLION TURKISH LIRAS

In his speech at the opening ceremony, İSKİ General Director Dr. Şafak Başa stated that “3^rd Stage of the Tuzla Advanced Biological Wastewater Plant was constructed to operate at a capacity of 400,000 cubic meters per day. We are increasing total capacity of the plant to 650,000 cubic meters/day with this stage. The plant will treat and discharge wastewater by removing nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon without harming the environment. Thus, İSKİ will greatly contribute to the fight against mucilage in the Sea of Marmara. Despite all the financial constraints, this plant that we implemented with a huge investment of 2 billion liras will treat the wastewater of 2 million 600 thousand people.”

SERVICE TO 4 DISTRICTS

Advanced biological treatment of wastewater from Tuzla, Pendik, Kartal and Maltepe districts will be carried out with this plant. Before the 3^rd Stage’s commissioning, the wastewater treatment was 69% pre-treatment, 3.17% biological, and 28% advanced biological. With the commissioning of the 3^rd Stage of Tuzla Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant, pre-treatment decreased to 6%, while advanced biological treatment increased to 32.17%.

WE DID OUR SHARE FOR THE ODOR PROBLEM

Pointing out the odor problem, which has been one of Tuzla's chronic problems for years, General Director Başa said, “With the odor control units built together with this plant, a significant contribution will be made to the solution of the chronic odor problem of the region. I would like to express that we, as İSKİ, are doing our part to solve the problem and that there will be no complaints caused by İSKİ as of the end of the year. However, other institutions and organizations should also take steps to resolve this issue.”

İSKİ BROKEN ITS OWN RECORD

Emphasizing that Tuzla Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant, with its 3^rd Stage, the plant is the largest advanced biological wastewater treatment plant of the country, Dr. Başa said, “It has a different meaning for Istanbul and Turkey as well as for İSKİ. Ataköy Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant was Türkiye's largest advanced biological wastewater treatment plant with a daily capacity of 600,000 cubic meters. The newly built Tuzla Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant, with its 3^rd Stage of 400,000 cubic meters/day, will reach a total capacity of 650,000 cubic meters/day and will be the largest in Türkiye in its field. In other words, İSKİ will break its own record as well.”