Sponge cities, water cisterns again…

Water that gets polluted and flows away during excessive rainfall can be captured and reused. Sponge cities are a system that can be easily and quickly established.

There are expressions that are gradually falling out of use, one of them is 'Agriculturist'. In the past, it was used to refer to farmers who were multi-faceted in agriculture, who did research, who transferred their knowledge and experience to their neighbors and regions, and who were open to innovation. Today, it is not used much. Kenan Vardar, a natural-born agriculturist, explained water resources management…

When did you first become interested in water and irrigation?
İlk üretim amaçlı seramızı 1990 yılında kurmuştuk. Sermayemiz olmadığı için sulama sistemi kuramadık. Bir iki yıl salma sulamayla idare ettik. Damlama sulama üzerine araştırma yaptıkça, kurduğumuz bağlantılarla otomatik sulama sistemini deneyerek kurduk. Bu işi yapanlar herkese bayilik filan vermiyordu. Bize ürün veren firma bizdeki gayreti görmüş olmalı ki, bize bayilik verdi. O tarihlerde fark ettik ki, damlama sulama sistemi Türkiye tarımının geleceğiydi. Yaklaşık 27-28 yıldır sulama sistemiyle ilgileniyoruz. Yıllarca damla sulamanın, modern sulamanın yararlarını, avantajlarını anlatmaya çalıştık. 2008 de sular çekilince o kuraklıkta herkes ne anlatmak istediğimizi anladı. Lakin halen Türkiye’de damla sulamayla sulanabilecek arazilerin ancak %5 ile %10’nunda doğru düzgün teknoloji kullanılıyor.

In this region or the Aegean Region?
The province that uses irrigation technologies the least in the Aegean Region is Aydın. Polyculture is very common in Aydın… (Working with more than one product in agricultural production) In other words, if there is no tomato, there is pepper. If there is no pepper, there is strawberry etc. This leads to a classical preference in irrigation. However, when you go to Manisa, there is viticulture, that is, monoculture. In this case, the grower knows that the increase in productivity in the vineyard must definitely be with the irrigation system. Drip irrigation is drying up. You go to Akhisar and there are olives. However, this time, as the use increases, things get out of hand and technology is not used properly. The job is usually done by the 'watermen'.

What about modern irrigation systems in general?
If we exclude landscapers, there is very little automation in agriculture. Automation is almost never used in annual plants. There is automation in large fruit and vegetable projects. But in general, we are neither very bad nor very good at irrigation. But we are not at the level of Spain or Israel. For example, if we take Spain, you cannot plant fruit and vegetables without the approval of the cooperative. You have to be a member first. There is a production plan. We do not have a plan. Everyone can plant anything, but as soon as it makes money, no one interferes with it. In our country, a law was passed 6-7 years ago regarding the use of water and it is still valid. But it cannot be applied in the agricultural field.

Okay, let's get to our main topic, sponge cities...
Irrigation systems were our goal in the 90s. But today, in 2018, sustainable living is important. Sustainable use of water is absolutely necessary for sustainable living. Everyone knows that there is a very serious water problem in the world. A very serious drought awaits humanity. In the face of this, humanity has to use its intelligence and take precautions. Especially after the 2010s, Europe and the Far East have started to research and create new systems to solve this problem. These systems were developed to reuse water that was polluted by floods and excessive rainfall. This is called 'Sponge Cities'.

Thirst is the current danger that awaits us…
It is so, because as a result of rapidly developing urbanization and concreting, the water cycle and nature are constantly being disrupted. Normally, rain directly meets the soil, but in today's cities it cannot meet the soil. In some places, it can meet after 100 km. This causes surface waters to become dangerous, water that does not meet the soil turns into floods and causes disasters as we have witnessed. Our country will face a possible drought in the not too distant future. For this reason, when we say that 'Sponge Cities' should be established in Türkiye today, we are trying to explain this water management concept. But for now, we can say that we are investing in the future.

What does 'sponge city' mean?
Those who have become obsessed with this issue and found a solution to the problem have put the water storage system, which we can translate into Turkish as water cisterns, on the agenda. And they have produced practical solutions with the most reasonable technology at their disposal. They have developed a product called Q-Bic Plus, which is made of PPRC used in drinking water, which can hold and carry, and can be easily assembled like a Lego. With this product, you determine the size you target in the field of application within the technical standards and put it into practice. Q-Bic Plus (Water Cisterns) serves two purposes. First, you can collect the rainwater flowing from concrete surfaces as a flood and feed the underground water by releasing it back into the soil with a slow release over time. Second, you can use the water you collect to irrigate plants and green areas. For example, instead of carrying water with pipes, you can irrigate the surrounding area from the cistern created. And third, you can reuse the water coming out of washing machines, called grey water, and reuse it in park garden irrigation or city network toilets. These systems exist in Europe and the world uses these systems.

So, what is the difference between these cisterns (Q-Bic Plus) and concrete pools?
The raw material of our cubics is the same as the raw material used in sanitary pipes. It does not pose any harm to human health. It is the same as that used in drinking water pipes. You can build a 600-ton pool in one day. It is very fast… Of course, as long as you provide the materials in advance. But you can hardly build a 600-ton pool with concrete in 4 months. It is a great advantage that it can be dismantled and used again, very fast, and in any size you want. You can also continue all kinds of activities on these cisterns. When they are no longer functional, you can remove them and install them somewhere else.

So where to start?
It is very important that collecting rainwater is a state policy… Municipalities should definitely include this in their zoning plans. Because one of the biggest problems of municipalities is sewage, and due to rainfall, sewage is filled with rainwater and problems begin. Countless shopping malls, factories, and housing estates are being built. These structures should now switch to systems that will at least eliminate rainwater as leakage or store it. Those who implement this practice should be given incentives such as exemption from wastewater and other waste taxes. It should even be mandatory… For example, can you imagine a large shopping mall with a concrete floor of a hundred acres collecting rainwater and using it in green areas by the municipality? There are very large concrete and asphalt surfaces like this in all our big cities. Local governments and other state institutions should see that this is a serious problem and implement the regulations they have issued regarding this. It is actually that simple… Especially the large asphalt surfaces on the ring roads in big cities should definitely be put on the agenda for green irrigation and underground water feeding. Because in Türkiye, the 'Rain Water Usage Regulation' was issued on June 23, 2017. Regulations are issued in Türkiye, but the problem is in the implementation.