Debi Rapor
TREN
Wastewater Reuse Investment in the GAP Region: Simultaneous Push Across 9 Provinces
Turkey

Wastewater Reuse Investment in the GAP Region: Simultaneous Push Across 9 Provinces

Debi Rapor

Water Efficiency Comes Online in GAP

The Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) Regional Development Administration announced an 11 billion lira investment package to modernise wastewater reuse infrastructure across nine provinces in its coverage area. The programme, which will run simultaneously in Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Mardin, Adıyaman, Siirt, Batman, Şırnak and Kilis, has an annual capacity of 480 million cubic metres.

A Dual-Line System for Agriculture and Industry

The distinguishing feature of the package is the delivery of advanced-treated water to two main consumers via a dual-line distribution infrastructure: agricultural irrigation and industrial parks. Beyond cotton, maize and wheat fields in the region, infrastructure will be built for process water needs in organised industrial areas. The dual-line system enables differentiated supply in terms of quality and volume.

Pressure on the Euphrates and Tigris

The GAP region is the area where Turkey's most intensive irrigated agriculture is practised. The total irrigated area now exceeds 1.7 million hectares. Groundwater abstraction pressure has increased over the past five years, putting negative pressure on baseflow in the rivers that border Syria and Iraq. Reuse stands out as one of the natural tools for balancing this pressure.

Technology Choice

Standard technology set determined for the programme:

  • Advanced biological treatment (nitrogen and phosphorus removal)
  • Disc filter + UV disinfection
  • Stabilisation pond for the agricultural line
  • Single-pass reverse osmosis for the industrial line
  • Crystalliser for concentrate management (limited number of plants)

Plant-level choices will be finalised based on the characterisation of the incoming load.

Agricultural Impact

Cotton is one of the highest-export-volume agricultural items in the region. However, cotton farming draws criticism for its high water demand. The use of advanced-treated water in cotton production is being evaluated as a critical tool for reaching "water neutral" certification targets in the EU market. Demand for low water-footprint agricultural products in foreign markets is rising clearly.

Social and Economic Impact

The investment package will create 13,000 direct jobs. The sector's water input cost in the region is projected to fall by an average of 18 percent annually. A legal framework is being prepared in parallel for the direct involvement of irrigation cooperatives in programme management.

Tender Calendar

First-phase tenders will be issued in mid-year. In addition to engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) packages, long-term operations and maintenance contracts are also on the agenda. The programme also serves as a pilot for scaling up multi-year operational contract models in the water sector.