Sustainable Wastewater Management: Treatment Plant Investment Predictions in Turkey

In this study, it is aimed to examine the future treatment plant investment projections for the sustainable development of wastewater management in Turkey. In today's conditions, where increasing population, industrialization and urbanization processes lead to an increase in wastewater production, which puts pressure on water resources, effective wastewater treatment is of great importance. In line with Turkey's global cooperation on environmental policies, sustainable development and environmental protection, investments in wastewater treatment plants are expected to be increased. In this context, the number of wastewater treatment plants in Turkey between 2001 and 2022, the amount of wastewater treated, the population provided with waste service, the total amount of wastewater discharged, and the amount of wastewater discharged per capita were discussed by using TURKSTAT data. By using the automatic ARIMA and ARIMA methods, 3 periods between 2023-2025 were estimated. Eviews 12.0 software was used in the analysis of the data. As a result of the analyzes, it has been determined that 1923 wastewater treatment plants will be needed for 2025 in terms of the amount of wastewater treated, 1858 in terms of the population with waste service, 1922 in terms of the total amount of wastewater discharged and 1928 in terms of the amount of wastewater discharged per capita. The projections emphasize that the capacity of treatment plants should be increased with the cooperation of local governments and the private sector, and that this process will provide not only environmental but also economic and social benefits. In addition, the emphasis is on the implementation of advanced treatment technologies, innovative financing models and increasing the environmental awareness of local people. In this direction, taking concrete steps to ensure sustainable development by protecting Turkey's water resources becomes evident as an important strategy in wastewater management in the coming years.