26.01.2026 09:51
In response to the risk of water scarcity, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change has made rainwater harvesting and greywater recovery systems mandatory in buildings of a certain size starting from January 1, 2026. Under the new regulation, building permits will not be granted for projects that do not meet the requirements, and occupancy permits will not be issued for buildings that do not install the necessary systems.
The increasing population in Turkey, climate change, and improper water usage have raised the risk of water scarcity, prompting the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change to implement a new regulation. With the decision taken under the Planned Areas Zoning Regulation, as of January 1, 2026, the installation of rainwater harvesting and greywater recovery systems will be mandatory in buildings of certain sizes.
According to the new regulation, building permits will not be granted for projects that do not include these systems. In ongoing construction projects, if the necessary installations are not made, the occupancy permit, that is, the habitation certificate will not be issued.
WHICH BUILDINGS ARE INCLUDED
Under the regulation, the rainwater harvesting system will be applied in buildings with a parcel area of 2,000 square meters or more, in buildings with a roof area exceeding 1,000 square meters, and in all public buildings. The greywater recovery system will be mandatory in hotels with 200 beds or more, in shopping centers exceeding 10,000 square meters, and in public buildings larger than 30,000 square meters.
HOW WILL THE SYSTEMS WORK
Rainwater will be collected from the roof areas of buildings, filtered, and stored. The collected water will be used in reservoirs and for garden irrigation. The storage volume will be planned to meet at least 6% of the calculated annual collectible rainwater. In the greywater system, water defined as "lightly dirty" coming from showers and sinks will be treated and reused. The capacity of these systems will be designed to meet at least half of the daily water needs of the reservoirs they are connected to.
CRITICAL WARNING FROM EXPERTS
Experts point out that the annual available water amount per capita was 1,652 cubic meters in 2000, while it has decreased to levels between 1,120 and 1,313 cubic meters by 2023. They warn that if necessary measures are not taken, more frequent water crises may occur after 2030, the risk of chronic drought will increase by 2040, and by 2050, the economic and social impacts related to water scarcity may deepen.