Winter drought fuels surge in water storage demand in Türkiye

​​​​​​​By Sibel Morrow

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish prefabricated building manufacturer Karmod said Friday that the demand for water storage tanks has risen sharply this winter as drought conditions and planned water outages push households and businesses to seek alternative supply solutions.

The company said orders have accelerated in the past month, particularly in cities experiencing scheduled water cuts such as Ankara, Izmir and Yalova.

Selcuk Kaya, sales director at Karmod’s plastics group, said the company has moved to increase production capacity to keep pace with demand.

“Winter is typically a slow season for water tank sales, but this year the situation is the opposite,” said Kaya.

“Current demand has reached levels that even exceed the summer months. Planned outages in several major cities have significantly boosted interest in water storage, prompting us to revise our production plans,” he added.

Most orders are for residential use, particularly for installation in building basements and parking areas, said Kaya. Narrow access points have driven demand for compact models, including new-generation 2,000-liter (528-gallon) tanks, while smaller vertical polyethylene tanks ranging from 500 to 1,000 liters are preferred for shops and in-home use.

The company highlighted growing interest in rainwater harvesting systems as concerns about long-term water scarcity intensify.

Kaya said Karmod offers a wide range of underground rainwater harvesting tanks, with capacities from 5,000 liters up to 100 tons, positioning them as a sustainable solution amid expectations of recurring droughts in the coming years.