Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and Manisa Metropolitan Municipality continue to monitor the pollution in the Gediz River, one of the most important water resources of the Aegean Region, with scientific data. Within the scope of the study initiated by İZSU and MASKİ in January 2026, samples taken regularly from the river and its tributaries are examined in laboratories.
7th Term Report containing July results; It revealed the course of pollution in Gediz River, Nif Stream, Ağır Creek and monitoring points throughout the basin. A total of 23 sampling points were determined in the Gediz main stream, Ağır Stream and Nif Stream within the borders of Izmir, and 36 sampling points in the Gediz main stream and side streams within the borders of Manisa. Thus, changes in different parts of the river are monitored regularly.
Ege University Faculty of Agriculture, Soil Science and Plant Nutrition Department faculty member Prof. evaluated the studies. Dr. Yusuf Founder said that they detected a remarkable change in the monitoring that has been going on for months.
The founder said, "We got a good clue. We received a lot of rain in both Izmir and Manisa in January, February and March. We saw that the pollution decreased significantly in the months following the rains. However, when the summer came and the rains decreased, the pollution load increased again. We saw pollution peaking and showing sudden increases starting from June. The pollution is caused by heavy metals and organic pollutants. This reveals that both industrial, agricultural and domestic pollution show their traces in the Gediz River."
"IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE GULF TO NOT BE POLLUTED"
The report noted that Gediz passed through Kütahya, Uşak, Manisa and Izmir and reached the Aegean Sea during its approximately 401-kilometer journey, and emphasized that river pollution affects a wide area from agricultural production to the ecosystem.
Prof. Dr. The founder stated that the monitoring served two important purposes and said, "The first was to see the state of the ecosystem along the Gediz River and the situation is bad. The second was to see the pollution load that the Gediz River brings to the bay, which is also very bad. It is not possible for the bay not to be polluted. It is not possible for the lands irrigated with the water of the Gediz River not to be polluted. It is not in a condition to be used as drinking water anyway."
"IT IS NECESSARY TO FIND THE SOURCES OF POLLUTION"
Referring to the remarkable pollution parameters in the report, Founder stated that some values were measured well above normal levels and said:
"The values of some substances such as copper, bromine, cobalt and boron in the water were measured 100-200 times above the normal value. Some heavy metals can already be found naturally in surface water or drinking water, but they should be at very low levels, not at a level that threatens human health. When the parameters are this high, we understand that pollution is not natural. It is necessary to find where these substances come from and the sources of pollutants. This is not just the job of a municipality. Rivers are under the authority of the ministry, so we would love to work with them. "What is at stake is water, which is the most important right of life for humans and nature. We would be happy to share our monitoring results with them. The locations of the sampling points are clear. It is not difficult to find polluting sources. We must do this if we are to leave a glass of clean water to the next generations."
"OUR DRINKING WATER IS VERY RISKY, SO WE ARE AT A CRITICAL THRESHOLD"
Noting that pollution is not limited to surface waters, Founder also emphasized Gediz's relationship with groundwater. Founder: "The Gediz River is a water on the surface, but it also feeds groundwater with its side streams. During periods when the flow rate in the river and streams decreases or stagnates, subsurface seepage in sandy-gravelly stream beds accelerates. In other words, this pollution load can also affect groundwater, which is our main drinking water source. If the groundwater is contaminated with pollution, our drinking water becomes very risky. That is why we are at a critical threshold. We must protect groundwater as much as surface water." he said.
"THE STRUGGLE IN THE GULF SHOULD BE ADDRESSED WITH POLLUTION SOURCES"
Founder stated that the dredging works carried out by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality in the bay and the capacity increase in Çiğli Wastewater Treatment Plant contributed to the improvement, and said that the struggle should be addressed together with Gediz and other pollution sources.
The founder said, "The dredging cleaning carried out in the bay definitely provides improvement and will continue to do so. Expanding the capacity of the treatment facility in Çiğli is very important in terms of reducing the pollution in the bay. But in addition, it is necessary to stop the pollution brought by the streams outside the jurisdiction of the municipality. The pollution in the Ağır Stream is a significant threat to the health of the bay. It is possible to determine the pollutant sources on the Gediz River and its side streams. This is technically very simple to do, but the inspection work is not under the authority of the municipality alone. We share these results with other public institutions." "We are ready to share," he said.
It was stated that the joint monitoring studies of İZSU and MASKİ will continue in the coming months. By bringing together the data obtained in the annual report, it is aimed to reveal in a holistic way where and in what periods the pollution increased along the route of Gediz.
