Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Facility was put into service in Van

VAN (AA) – Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Facility, which was completed by the Metropolitan Municipality Van Water and Sewage Administration in Muradiye district of Van, was put into service. The investment, which was implemented within the scope of the Van Lake Basin Protection Action Plan, launched in 2020 under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s wife Emine Erdoğan, will contribute to the protection of Van Lake.

In the facility, whose investment cost is 98 million liras, 2,400 cubic meters of wastewater per day will be treated with advanced biological methods. The facility, which is equipped with modern treatment systems and will breathe life into Lake Van, aims to prevent environmental disturbances with odor removal units and to treat approximately 876 thousand cubic meters of wastewater annually without harming the environment.

The project, which was implemented to protect water quality and support the sustainability of biological diversity, will also contribute to the protection of the pearl mullet’s habitat. Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, Faculty of Fisheries, Dr. Faculty Member Mustafa Akkuş told the AA correspondent that not a single drop of dirty water should be left in the lake for the future of the pearl mullet, which is the source of income for thousands of people in the region, and for the continuity of a special ecosystem like Lake Van.

Stating that all wastewater of Muradiye will be collected in the advanced biological treatment facility put into service, Akkuş said: “After the wastewater is purified from nitrogen and phosphorus, it is made clean and released into Lake Van. These facilities are more than just an infrastructure investment, they constitute the future of Lake Van. Bendi Mahi Stream is the guarantee of the breeding habitats of the pearl mullet.

We hope that in the coming years, these facilities will work actively in every district and not a single drop of wastewater will be discharged into Lake Van.” Stating that the facility was established on the edge of the Bendi Mahi Stream, which is the largest stream flowing into Lake Van, Akkuş stated that pearl mullets carry out their breeding migration in this stream. Emphasizing that the water was previously released into the Bendi Mahi Stream without purification, which reduced the oxygen level in the water, Akkuş said, “The water is polluted and it is not possible to transfer the pearl mullets to future generations as habitat loss occurs.

Therefore, the facility is of vital importance for the cleanliness and continuity of Lake Van and the sustainability of the ecosystem in the region.” he said. Environmental Engineer Emine Cangül said, “We purify 2,400 cubic meters of water daily in the advanced biological treatment facility. In the first stage, we serve a population of 25 thousand. This figure changes for the second stage. In order to protect our Lake Van basin, we analyze certain parameters of the discharge water in a laboratory environment in our facility.” he said.