The first of the planned site visits within the scope of the “Project for Investigating the Reuse Potential of Treated Wastewater in Organized Industrial Zones (OIZs)”, implemented under the protocol signed between the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and our University, was carried out in Konya.

 

The first site visit of the project was hosted by the Konya Organized Industrial Zone, together with ministry officials, under the management and coordination of our University, and with the participation of faculty members from Istanbul Technical University and Bursa Technical University.

 

SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP AND STRONG ACADEMIC COORDINATION FROM OUR UNIVERSITY

 

Before the site program, the Project Manager, Prof. Dr. Bilgehan Nas, a faculty member of our Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, and the project team visited Vice Rector and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Prof. Dr. Ali Köken, and provided a comprehensive briefing on the scope, objectives, and field applications of the project. During the meeting, attention was drawn to the strategic importance of the reuse of treated wastewater in terms of efficiency in industry, environmental sustainability, and water security.

 

COMPREHENSIVE TECHNICAL EXAMINATIONS IN KONYA OIZ

 

Within the scope of the site visit, the drinking and utility water treatment plant, the existing wastewater treatment plant, the 2nd Stage Wastewater Treatment Plant under construction, and the planned water recovery plant in Konya OIZ were examined in detail. In the technical evaluations carried out, the existing infrastructure and future projections for the reuse of treated wastewater in industrial processes were discussed.

 

In his presentation, Konya OIZ Deputy Regional Director Ekrem Erinç Akgündüz conveyed the work carried out by the OIZ in the field of water and wastewater management and shared its vision for sustainable water management.

 

NATIONWIDE FIELD STUDIES WILL BE CARRIED OUT UNDER KTÜN COORDINATION

 

Menderes İşcen, Head of the Department of Water and Soil Management under the General Directorate of Environmental Management of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, emphasized that OIZs have a critical role in terms of wastewater recovery and reuse targets.

 

Project Manager Prof. Dr. Bilgehan Nas stated that site visits would be carried out between February and July 2026 in 130 OIZs across Türkiye that have wastewater treatment plants, and that the reuse potential of treated wastewater would be determined by scientific methods in all 371 OIZs.

 

AN IMPORTANT STEP FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT

 

This first site visit carried out in Konya OIZ was completed with technically productive evaluations and strong messages of inter-institutional cooperation. The OIZ-SUYAP Project, carried out under the management and academic leadership of our University, stands out as an important milestone in terms of protecting Türkiye’s water resources, expanding sustainable water management practices in industry, and strengthening environmental responsibility.

 

 

 

Konya Technical University KTUN