Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç Soyerlaid the foundation of the 4th Phase Project of Çiğli Wastewater Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is of great importance in the cleaning process of the Gulf. Speaking about the investment that will increase the capacity of the facility by 36 percent, President Soyer said, “In this period, we have determined a comprehensive and innovative roadmap that resets the pollution at its source instead of sweeping it under the carpet. We are not saving the day with the Living Gulf mobilization, but we are producing a permanent solution to one of the main problems of İzmir with a 50-year planning.”
The 11th Phase construction of Çiğli Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant has started within the scope of the "Living Bay" program, which was designed by the General Directorate of İZSU with a huge budget of 95 billion 4 million liras and prepared with scientific planning.
The foundation of the 36th Phase construction, which will increase the capacity of Çiğli Waste Water Treatment Plant, which carries the bulk of İzmir's wastewater treatment load, by 4 percent, was laid with a ceremony. Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor attended the ceremony. Tunç Soyer, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Mustafa Özuslu, Çiğli Mayor Utku Gümrükçü, Bayraklı Mayor Serdar Sandal, Narlıdere Mayor Ali Engin, council members, headmen, representatives of non-governmental organizations and citizens attended.
“11 billion lira mobilization”
Speaking at the ceremony, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyerstated that the biggest problem of İzmir, which has been going on for nearly half a century, is the pollution of the Gulf. Expressing that they experienced one of the most important moments that heralded the end of 50 years of resentment, the President stated that Tunç Soyer“Our living Gulf mobilization is moving to a whole new level today. We are together for the groundbreaking ceremony of the fourth phase of Çiğli Waste Water Treatment Plant, one of the most important investments that will carry us to our goal of a Swimming Bay. The budget we allocated for the 'Living Gulf mobilization', which was prepared with meticulous scientific planning, is 11 billion 95 million liras. The amount of dirty water that the Fourth Phase will treat alone is 216 cubic meters. expressing that Tunç Soyer“Thus, we are increasing the total treatment capacity that will clean the İzmir Bay during this period from 626 thousand 400 cubic meters to 978 thousand 800 cubic meters, that is, approximately 1 million cubic meters. The total budget of the 100 big investments to be made by İZSU in the coming period is approximately 20 billion liras.
“We are rooting out pollution in the Gulf”
Explaining that more than half of İZSU's investment budget is allocated to solve the biggest problem of İzmir city center that has been waiting for half a century and to leave a clean Gulf for children, the President Tunç Soyer, “The essence of our 11 billion 95 million lira Living Gulf investment is this… We have besieged the pollution that has flowed into the Gulf for 50 years from land, shore and sea. Of course, many studies have been carried out on the Gulf so far. Some of them are completed and some are unfinished. I would like to thank all our previous mayors for their efforts. In this period, instead of sweeping the pollution under the carpet, we have determined a comprehensive and innovative roadmap that resets it at its source. We have besieged the pollution in the Gulf with ten huge investments stretching like links of a chain on land, on the coast and in the sea. With the investments we have made, we are rooting out the pollution in the Izmir Bay.”
He explained the decrease in odor complaints with graphics
Who wishes not to expect a miracle regarding the cleanliness of the bay. Tunç Soyer, emphasized that they know well that they do not have a magic wand to solve the accumulated problem of 50 years, but they are determined to walk this grueling path. Noting the decrease in the complaints about odor coming to the İZSU HİM Center this year compared to last year, President Soyer said, “The reason for the huge difference is that our Living Gulf Mobilization gave rapid results. May all Izmir residents rest in peace. As our 10 projects that make up the Living Gulf Mobilization progress, you will see that these complaints decrease and disappear from our lives in a short time. The scalpel that we hit on the pollution going into the Gulf starts from the upper points of Buca and Çiğli and extends into the sea.”
The life of the facility was extended by constructing rain water lines
Explaining that they have completed the 220 kilometer rainwater line opened to the Gulf in the last three years, President Soyer said that they will build another 2023 kilometers of rainwater line in 7 with a huge investment of approximately 270 billion liras. Stating that the investments cover all the central districts surrounding the Gulf from Balçova to Çiğli, Mayor Soyer said, “The only way to leave a clean Gulf for our children is to root out pollution. The most important way to achieve this is to complete the rainwater lines, which no one has ever dealt with. If we do not do this, our Çiğli Treatment Plant will always live like a blood pressure patient and its efficiency will decrease. By constructing the rainwater lines, we also restrain the amount of water coming into this valuable facility and prolong its life.
“An ecological corridor will be created in the city center”
Pointing out that the second step of the Living Bay Mobilization is the work carried out on the installed power of the treatment plants around the Gulf, Soyer said: “When I took over the task, Phases 604-800 and 1 of the Çiğli Waste Water Treatment Facility, where you are today, with a capacity of 2 thousand 3 cubic meters, were operating with low efficiency. We are taking this to the highest level with our 250 million lira revision project. In addition, we are increasing the capacity of the Southwestern Waste Water Treatment Plant in Narlıdere from 36 thousand 400 to 21 thousand by increasing the capacity of 600 thousand 58 cubic meters with membrane bioreactor technology. The capacity of İzmir's first underground treatment plant, which we established in Karabağlar, is 100 thousand cubic meters. This facility will accelerate the slow sewer flow that causes odor at times in inland areas. On the other hand, an ecological corridor will be created in the city center by giving the treated wastewater at this facility to Meles Stream, creating a fresh water source for Meles. Another feature of this investment of 2026 million TL, which will be completed in 850, is that it is an integral part of our EXPO 2026 project.”
“Sludge will not accumulate around the treatment plant”
Mentioning that they have made revisions and capacity increases in the sludge digestion and drying unit of Çiğli Waste Water Treatment Plant, which was commissioned in 2013, due to the wear and tear over time. Tunç Soyer“Thanks to this 800 million investment, sludge will no longer accumulate around the treatment plant. We will completely remove the sludge accumulated for more than 20 years from this region in 5 years. The dried sludge will be used as a fuel in cement production and similar processes and will be reintroduced to the economy. In addition, we direct the recovered wastewater to agricultural and urban use by establishing a recovery unit with a capacity of 604 thousand cubic meters per day at the exit of Çiğli Wastewater Treatment Plant with a capacity of 800 thousand 200 cubic meters per day. This huge investment of 1 billion liras is also of historical importance for the ecological restoration of fish and fish stocks on the Gulf coasts. The tender for the construction of our project will be held at the end of 2023.
“We are preventing the odor problem caused by shallowing in the gulf”
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, who explained the third and last leg of the Living Bay Mobilization as interventions to the sea. Tunç Soyer, “Currently, the treated wastewater from Çiğli Treatment Plant is poured into the inner gulf. We are changing the waste water discharge point by opening a diversion channel costing 200 million liras. We carry the purified fresh water to the Eski Gediz bed and from there to the Orta Bay. Thus, we eliminate the odor pressure of treated wastewater towards the inner gulf. The construction of our project will start following the permission of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and will be completed in a short time. Finally, we prevent the odor problem caused by shallowing in the Gulf. We are removing the odor-causing materials from the area by dredging the seabed up to minus 0.5 meters at the outlet mouths of the streams, which become shallow up to 4 meters with the sediment brought by the streams flowing into the Gulf.
“We produce a permanent solution with 50 years of planning”
Explaining that they carried out 420 thousand cubic meters of dredging work at the outlets of Bornova Stream, Bostanlı Stream and Cheesecioğlu Stream. Tunç Soyer, “Also, we are dredging the shallowing area at the exit point of Çiğli Waste Water Treatment Plant. We will ensure the rehabilitation of Çilazmak Dalyan with the mud from the dredging works and contribute to the protection of the fish diversity of the Gulf. Permission processes in this regard are also carried out by our İZSU General Directorate. Of course, these investments have a huge cost. We initiated the Living Bay Mobilization by activating the entire institutional capacity of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and İZSU. We are producing a permanent solution to one of the main problems of İzmir with a 50-year planning, not saving the day.”
The treatment capacity of the plant will increase
Expressing that they are able to complete the 11 billion-budget Living Gulf Mobilization by their own means, the President Tunç Soyer“Last week, we signed a goodwill agreement with the French Development Agency on this subject and we brought a very low-interest, long-term investment loan to İzmir. I would like to state that this loan agreement is not a favor given to anyone's sake. This investment we moved to İzmir is the result of the financial discipline and reliability of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and İZSU despite the economic crisis in Turkey. We completed the tender for the Fourth Phase on April 26. The total cost of our construction is 600 million TL. When the Fourth Phase is completed, the daily treatment capacity of the facility will increase by 216 cubic meters and reach 820 cubic meters, and our facility will take the title of Turkey's largest wastewater treatment facility.
“We have based our plans on reconciling İzmir with its bay”
Who also wants all Izmir residents to feel comfortable. Tunç Soyer“The fees collected with İZSU invoices are not only the source of the service provided, but also the source of these huge budget investments. In other words, we spend every penny you pay as a service to each of you with the right investments. Moreover, not only today and for you, but also for the future of this city and your children. We are taking all the necessary steps to solve the Gulf pollution at its root, one by one. Our calendar continues to work day by day. We chose life in Izmir. We have based all our plans on reconciling Izmir with its bay. We will continue to move forward on this path together and with sure steps.”
“This facility is very important in preventing environmental pollution”
Arbio Gaz Anonim Şirketi Chairman of the Board Mehmet İzolluoğlu, who undertook the construction organization and project management of the Çiğli Fourth Phase Project, emphasized the importance of this facility in preventing environmental pollution and said, “Environmental investments are visible, not popular ones. They are investments that are necessary for our civilization, the effects and benefits of which can be seen over many years, which are essential for the healthy continuation of our lives. In order for a treatment plant to be functional and successful, its equipment must be of high quality, it must consume less energy, and the plant must be sustainable. A well-established facility not only needs to be good, it also needs to be well run. We are confident that this project will also be carried out successfully, that it will run smoothly for many years, and that it will serve İzmir.”
Explored the area
President Soyer then made investigations in the area. Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, who went to the area where the effluent of the treatment plant is discharged, gave information about the works carried out there. Tunç Soyer“With the set we built, the direction of the whole water has also changed. A 40-meter-wide, 4-kilometer canal was opened. A new diversion channel will be opened from the exit point of the facility. And the diversion of water will be provided to the outer Gulf, not the middle Gulf. This is one of the arrangements we made on the beach. This is not a fantasy for us. Let's not just swim, jump, have fun. It is important for the health and comfort of future generations. If we can create a clean Bay, we will further increase the attractiveness of the city. The odor problem will be a thing of the past. The bay will become swimmable. There used to be swimming in the Gulf. Unable to enter for 50 years. We will change that. We will make the Gulf a livable and swimmable Gulf," he said.
İZSU General Manager Ali Hıdır Köseoğlu said, “We are working scientifically. We are a technical institution. We produce solutions in the light of scientific data. There is no smell on our agenda anymore, there are new projects.”