Burst Water Supply Pipe In Ankara Cuts Off All Water to 4 Million Residents - Reuters

[hatrack]

ANKARA - Water supplies to Turkey's capital Ankara, already disrupted by drought, were cut off late on Monday when a major pipe feeding the city of 4 million people burst, authorities said on Tuesday.

Television showed residents wading through a flood in the district where the pipe burst -- in contrast with the rest of the city, where a severe drought has reduced water levels in dams to just four percent of their capacity and forced city authorities to impose water rationing.

Officials told a news conference it would take up to 36 hours to repair the pipe. "We hope this cut in the water supply will end quickly and we will get the water flowing again," said Avni Kavlak, press spokesman for Ankara municipality.

Turkey has been suffering one of its driest summers on record and Ankara, located in the dry, sunbaked interior, has been particularly hard hit because there was almost no snow last winter to fill the reservoirs.

EDIT

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/43525/story.htm

[seemslikeadream]

1. just an accident?

[hatrack]

2. Yeah, looks that way - aging pipes, not enough investment.

I've heard rumors that the same thing happens here . . .

[seemslikeadream]

3. well with the pkk and all

When was the last time 4 million Americans were without water for 36 hours?