The first phase of the Karapınar Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant, one of the projects implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change to save Lake Meke, which is on the verge of drying up due to drought, has been completed. The plant, which has started to treat the city's wastewater, will implement advanced biological treatment in the second phase. The clean water obtained in this way will be carried to Lake Meke via an 8,5 and a half kilometer transmission line. Sharing about the works on social media, Minister Kurum said, "Our evil-eye bead, Lake Meke, is getting its lifeblood."
Lake Meke, located in the Karapınar district of Konya and described as the ‘evil eye bead of the world’, was on the verge of drying up due to climate change, drought and unconscious water use. The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change has been working to save the natural wonder lake in line with the projects prepared since 2020 and the suggestions of scientists. In this context, the first stage of the Karapınar Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant, construction of which began in 2021, has been completed. The plant, which treats the city’s water, will bring life back to Lake Meke and its surroundings when its second stage is completed. The wastewater treated in the first stage will be made even cleaner with the implementation of advanced biological treatment systems. When the 8.5-kilometer transmission line, which is currently under construction, is completed, it will carry the treated water obtained from the plant to Lake Meke.
MINISTER KURUM: LAKE MEKE WILL RETURN TO ITS OLD BEAUTY
Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum shared images from the facility and lake in Konya on his social media account. Minister Kurum said, “Our evil-eye bead Meke Lake is getting its life water. We have completed the first phase of the Karapınar Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant, which we built to bring Meke Lake, which was affected by drought caused by climate change, back to life, and we are rapidly continuing with the second phase. With this facility, Meke Lake will regain its former beauty with its blue and green, and we will purify 2,5 million m3 of water annually.”
2,5 MILLION CUBIC METERS OF WATER WILL BE PURIFIED ANNUALLY
Providing information about the facility, which was designed as two stages, İLBANK Konya Regional Manager Sedat Yılmaz said, “The facility was determined as the first stage dimensioning year 2033 and the second stage dimensioning year 2048, considering the development status of the region, population, industry and similar increases. According to the designed project, the daily treatment capacity of the facility is 7 thousand cubic meters and 2,5 million cubic meters of water will be treated annually. As of now, the incoming water is around 4 thousand 500 cubic meters per day. In the advanced biological treatment that will be put into operation in the second stage, discharge standards will be applied for the sensitive areas specified in the Urban Wastewater Treatment Regulation, which provides nutrient nitrogen and phosphorus removal.”
APPROXIMATELY 15 MILLION TL ALLOCATED FOR THE FACILITY
For the first stage of the Karapınar Wastewater Treatment Plant, a total of 1 million 12 thousand 468 liras was allocated from İLBANK, 781 million 2 thousand 468 liras of which is a loan and 781 million 14 thousand 937 liras is a grant.
THERE ARE 4 DIFFERENT PROTECTION STATUS
Meke, which was formed 5 million years ago as a result of a volcanic eruption and is a crater lake, has been protected by the ministry as a 'natural protected area' since 1989. It was declared a 'natural monument' in 1998. Lake Meke was also registered as a Ramsar site in 2005. In 2022, it was declared a 'sensitive area to be strictly protected'.
