Statement from DSI regarding dam occupancy rates

Balta stated that as the end of 2025 approached, precipitation forecasts did not show a positive outlook, but as 2026 began, the country entered a very rainy season.

Expressing that high levels of precipitation were received in January and February, Balta said, "With the rainfall, we have caught up to the occupancy rate of our dams from last year. In fact, we have currently surpassed it. We have reached an active volume occupancy level of 42 percent in our dams. We anticipate that additional rainfall will come in the upcoming period of February, March, April, or May. Compared to last year, both the rainfall and the occupancy in the dams will be in a better state."

Balta emphasized that regardless of the course of precipitation, savings must be made in water used for both drinking and irrigation purposes.

Balta continued as follows:

"We must always ensure savings, especially in irrigation. Because irrigation is the sector that uses the most water. We are building closed-pipe systems. We recommend sprinkler and drip irrigation systems. These systems use 50 percent less water compared to open-channel irrigation systems.

As long as we use water efficiently, we will not experience problems even if we go through dry years. After all, our dams do not store just one year's worth of water; because they store several years' worth of water, we actually do not face any water problems as a country, but we must primarily know how to use water efficiently. We must save the water we have stored this year to carry over even more to next year."

News Source: 12punto