Water-Quality Standards & Discharge Guidelines

1) Policy statement and scope

Atatürk University operates under a formal Water Discharge and Quality Control Policy that covers all campus wastewater streams—domestic (residences, dining halls), healthcare and laboratories (including hazardous and medical effluents), and facility/utility sources. The policy’s objectives are to protect ecosystems, wildlife, and human health, to prevent pollution of surface and groundwater, and to ensure full compliance with Türkiye’s Water Pollution Control Regulation (SKKY) and the national discharge permitting system. The policy applies to every unit and all third-party caterers/contractors operating on campus. ced.csb.gov.tr

2) Legal and institutional alignment

• National framework & permits: University discharges are managed in line with the Ministry’s Atıksu Deşarjı (Wastewater Discharge) – Environmental Permit/License regime, including pre-treatment where required, point-source registration, and technical data sheets. ced.csb.gov.tr

• Municipal treatment linkage (ESKİ): Campus wastewater is conveyed to Erzurum Water and Sewerage Administration (ESKİ) systems and treated at the Erzurum Wastewater Treatment Plant, which prevents pollutant discharge to the Karasu River and safeguards regional waters. University technical staff coordinate with ESKİ on sewer-acceptance rules, sampling, and reporting. eski.gov.tr+1

• Internal governance: Compliance is led by the Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Coordination Office (Katı ve Tehlikeli Atık Yönetimi Koordinatörlüğü) in collaboration with the Environmental Problems Application & Research Center and relevant faculties. Atatürk Üniversitesi+1

3) Coverage of hazardous, medical, and laboratory wastewaters

The University maintains written plans and procedures for hazardous/chemical and medical/pathological wastes, including segregation, interim storage, licensed transfer, and sterilization/ultimate treatment. These controls prevent illicit discharge of regulated substances and ensure that any wastewater contact is managed per law and permit conditions. (Example: faculty-level Waste Management Plan with forms, labeling, and handover protocols.) Atatürk Üniversitesi

4) Standards and guideline structure (how limits are set and enforced)

Atatürk University applies the stricter of:

1. the national SKKY limit values relevant to the discharge route and activity, and

2. ESKİ sewer-acceptance requirements for Erzurum.

The internal guideline covers, at minimum, the following parameter groups (with limit values drawn from SKKY/permit or municipal acceptance conditions for the specific discharge point):

• General: pH, temperature, color, electrical conductivity

• Conventional: BOD₅, COD, TSS, settleable solids

• Nutrients: Total Nitrogen, Ammonium-N, Total Phosphorus

• Oils & Grease (animal/plant & mineral)

• Metals & priority pollutants (e.g., Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn)

• Toxic/organic parameters (phenols, cyanide, surfactants, solvents where applicable)

• Microbiological (for health-care effluents where relevant)

Unit-specific pre-treatment (oil-grease traps for kitchens, neutralization for labs, amalgam/metal capture where applicable) is mandatory before discharge to the campus sewer. Compliance with acceptance criteria is verified by scheduled sampling and documentation required by the national permit system and ESKİ. ced.csb.gov.tr+1

5) Monitoring, sampling, and reporting

• Sampling plan: The University maintains a register of discharge points with sampling locations and frequencies (routine and event-based). Composite or grab samples are analyzed for the parameter set defined in SKKY/permit.

• Accredited analysis & chain-of-custody: Samples are analyzed in accredited labs or ESKİ labs; records are retained for audits. University–ESKİ collaboration includes joint technical visits and knowledge exchange (e.g., faculty visits to ESKİ’s treatment facilities), strengthening alignment of operations with municipal standards. eski.gov.tr+2Instagram+2

• Corrective actions: Any deviation triggers root-cause analysis, corrective measures (e.g., pre-treatment maintenance, process changes), and follow-up sampling.

• Transparency: Summary compliance results feed the University’s sustainability communications and SDG reporting.

6) Roles & responsibilities

• Policy owner: Vice-Rector for Administrative & Financial Affairs.

• Operator: Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Coordination Office (campus-wide implementation, audits, training). Atatürk Üniversitesi

• Technical advisors: Environmental Problems Application & Research Center; Faculty of Engineering (Environmental Engineering), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (for medical effluents), and Faculty of Fisheries (aquatic sensitivity). Atatürk Üniversitesi

• External partners: ESKİ for sewer acceptance, lab services, and treatment; licensed hazardous/medical waste contractors for non-sewerable streams. eski.gov.tr

7) Education & capacity building

Compliance is reinforced through periodic trainings for facility managers, lab supervisors, and contractors (segregation, pre-treatment operation, spill response, sampling). Faculty–municipal exchanges (e.g., ESKİ plant visits with Atatürk University academics and students) enhance practical understanding of water-quality protection and discharge control. eski.gov.tr+1

8) Evidence of municipal environmental benefit

The Erzurum Wastewater Treatment Plant prevents untreated discharge to the Karasu River, blocking significant annual pollutant loads (biological sludge, screened solids, grit, oils/floatables) and thereby protecting regional surface and groundwater to which the University is hydrologically connected. Campus adherence to acceptance criteria and pre-treatment requirements supports this city-wide environmental outcome. eski.gov.tr

Summary table — University water-quality & discharge control