Snow is being dumped into lakes and other bodies by local municipalities and public institutions due to the heavy snowfall in Turkey this year. This practice is often praised for clearing snow from streets and increasing water levels in drought-stricken lakes. However, it can be dangerous for the environment, according to a Turkish expert.
Many municipalities located near Lake Van in eastern Turkey, and near the Meke Eirdir and Beyehir Lakes in central Turkey have announced that they had been dumping truckloads upon lakes and riverbeds over the past few weeks.
Erol Kesici, a lake specialist who is also an adviser to the Nature Protection Society of Turkey, stated that chemicals and salt used for snow removal are poisoning water supplies.
He said that acid, aggregate (one of three basic materials that makes concrete together with water) and other mixed salt types that are used to remove snow and transfer it to lakes and ponds to raise the water level of water sources to increase production are threatening our health, and production.
He stated that solvents that contain starch, sugar, and liquid waste from sugar or beverage factories can be used to safely prevent and dissolve ice.
Although salt is used extensively to prevent icy roads which can lead to traffic accidents, Kesici states that even though the financial costs of more environmentally-friendly mixtures are similar to salt, the natural alternatives are cheaper when considering the potential ecological harm.
