07.02.2026 11:51
The fate of our country, which has been struggling with drought until the end of December, changed with the recent rains. With these rains, the filling rate of the dams across Turkey increased to 38.1% as of February 4, while the rate has risen by 4.6 points compared to December 2025 due to the recent rains.
According to the compilation made by the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSI), there was a 5.9% increase in the average cumulative rainfall across Turkey during the period from October 1, 2025, to February 4, 2026, compared to long-term averages.
INCREASE IN RESERVOIR FILLING
Compared to the average water year of last year, an increase of 52.4% was recorded. As a result of this increase, there has also been a recent rise in the filling rates of the reservoirs. In this context, the active storage amount in the reservoirs in operation across Turkey reached 35.9 billion cubic meters as of February 4. This amount was recorded as 31.6 billion cubic meters on December 31, 2025.
The active filling rate of the reservoirs was 33.5% at the end of December last year, while it increased to 38.1% as of February 4 this year.
Thus, due to the recent rainfall, there was an increase of 4.6 percentage points in the filling rates of the reservoirs during the mentioned period.
LAST STATUS IN THREE MAJOR CITIES
The filling rates of the reservoirs in the three major cities were also determined by DSI. Accordingly, the filling rate of the reservoirs in Istanbul was 18.4% at the end of December last year, while it rose to 33% as of February 4 this year. With this filling rate, it is calculated that Istanbul has approximately 151 days' worth of drinking water.
The filling rate of the reservoirs in Ankara was around 0.2% during the same period last year, while it increased to 8.6% as of February 4 this year. According to this filling rate, it is estimated that there is approximately 244 days' worth of drinking water left in the capital.
The filling rate of the reservoirs in Izmir also increased from 0.3% to 7.2% during the mentioned period. Accordingly, there is approximately 173 days' worth of drinking water in the reservoirs of Izmir.