İSTANBUL WATER AND SEWERAGE ADMİNİSTRATİON

The first water administration in Istanbul was established in 1869. Water and sewerage services in Istanbul were combined under İSKİ (Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration) in 1981. A subsidy of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, İSKİ is a public body with an autonomous budget. Almost the whole budget income is received from water sales. Its service area covers the whole territory within Istanbul’s borders. Duties of İSKİ • To provide water • To collect, treat and discharge wastewater • To protect water resources Key Figures on Istanbul • Total Length of Water Lines : 22.424 km • Total Length of Waste Water Lines : 22.608 km • Population Served : 16 million • Total Service Area of İSKİ : 9.271 km2 • Total Number of Customers : 6.6 million • Average Daily Water Supply : 2.9 million m3/day • Total number of staff including personnel of subcontractors : 9.813 • İSKİ provides service by 21 potable water treatment plants and 89 waste water treatment. İSKİ is a public institution. The R&D studies at İSKİ are carried out by the R&D Directorate under the Strategy Development Department and its latest works are listed below:

1. DOMESTIC RESPIROMETER DEVICE In order to operate wastewater treatment plants more efficiently and use minimum energy, a portable respirometer device that can measure the oxygen utilization rate (OUR) of bacteria through domestic design and software was manufactured for the first time in our country.
2. DOMESTIC TECHNOLOGY: THE PRODUCT TO REDUCE EVAPORATION It has been determined by the studies that the product applied within the scope of the Project "Investigation of the Effects of the Evaporation-Reducing Product Manufactured Using Domestic Technology on Ecological Life, Evaporation and Rehabilitation" reduces evaporation by 30%, and has no adverse effects on the pond ecosystem, water quality and aquatic life.
3. ANAMMOX® In order to decrease the operating costs of Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Plants and to increase the treatment efficiency, the nitrogen in the digester effluent was removed through the "Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation Process" and the enrichment of Anammox bacteria was realized without being dependent on abroad.
4. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OF MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF DRINKING WATER TREATMENT PLANT PROCESSES It is aimed to create mathematical models by using easily measurable and effective parameters in determining the performance of units in conventional drinking water treatment plants. The study is ongoing.
5. WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT STANDARDIZATION PROJECT - I (EXPERIMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ADVANCED BIOLOGICAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT AND MODELING IN DYNAMIC CONDITIONS) Within the scope of "Wastewater Management Standardization Project - I"; it is aimed to adapt the European standards used in the design of our advanced biological wastewater treatment plants to local characteristics and to establish basic design criteria allowing for more effective treatment. The study is ongoing.
6. INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF A POTENTIAL EARTHQUAKE ON WATER-WASTEWATER FACILITIES AND NETWORK LINES IN ISTANBUL It is aimed to mitigate damages in a potential earthquake by analyzing the earthquake resistance conditions of the drinking water and wastewater treatment plants, the mechanical systems, tanks and pumping stations in facilities, and water distribution and wastewater collection lines in the charge of İSKİ. The study is ongoing.
7. HIGH-LOAD ACTIVE SLUDGE PROCESS AND ANAEROBIC MEMBRANE BIOREACTOR INTEGRATION FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT WASTEWATER TREATMENT IN ISTANBUL It is aimed to investigate the feasibility of an integrated treatment system allowing for improvement and modernization of existing wastewater pre-treatment facilities, applicable to limited areas, and involving innovative, energy-efficient, most up-to-date processes, and including the disposal of sludge generated during wastewater treatment, and providing maximum energy recovery. The study is ongoing.
8. LABORATORY SCALE TREATMENT OF WASTEWATER IN İSKİ BALTALİMANI WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT THROUGH LOW-COST AND SPACE-SAVING AEROBIC GRANULAR ACTIVED SLUDGE (AGAS) SYSTEM It is aimed to conduct a laboratory-scale experimental study in order to examine the treatability of domestic wastewater in wastewater treatment plants with granular activated sludge technology, which saves ~40% energy and ~75% space, and to determine the design and operating conditions of this technology. The study is ongoing.
9. DOMESTIC TUNNEL INSPECTION ROBOT Within the scope of the Project, it has been provided the production of more functional robotic inspection systems than those in current use by supporting our domestic and national robotics sector on the sewerage inspection robots.