The Sea of Marmara is Türkiye's inland sea under the heaviest industrial and population pressure. Falling oxygen levels, mucilage events and rising nutrient loads have introduced stricter inspection and monitoring obligations for every wastewater treatment plant discharging into the Marmara Basin. This guide summarises what the Marbin protocol is, which facilities fall within its scope, the obligations and the online monitoring requirements.
What is the Marbin protocol?
The Marbin protocol is a framework prepared to protect the Sea of Marmara, requiring facilities that discharge into the Marmara Basin to carry out uninterrupted monitoring and reporting together with more advanced treatment. The goal is to reduce the pollutant load reaching the sea and to make discharge quality continuously traceable.
The protocol is not merely a paperwork obligation; it covers improving treatment efficiency, real-time measurement and the regular reporting of measurement data to the competent authority. For this reason, classical laboratory analyses and manual tracking are not sufficient to meet Marbin obligations.
Who is covered?
Municipal and industrial treatment plants located in the Marmara Basin that discharge above the defined flow threshold fall within the Marbin scope. The scope is determined by the facility's location, its discharge point, the treatment level and the discharge flow rate. Because thresholds and scope are updated from time to time, the current legislation must be checked before installation.
The main factors considered when determining the scope are:
- The facility's location within the Marmara Basin boundaries,
- The relationship of the discharge point to the sea (direct or indirect),
- The treatment level and process type,
- The discharge flow rate.
What are the obligations?
The main obligations expected of facilities within the Marbin scope fall under these headings:
- Providing nutrient (nitrogen/phosphorus) removal through advanced treatment.
- Continuously monitoring the discharge water online.
- Reporting measurement data to the competent authority regularly and completely.
- Recording calibration, maintenance and sampling processes.
- Ensuring data continuity and traceability.
At the centre of these obligations is the reliability of measurement data. A monitoring system that is interrupted also puts the reporting obligation at risk.
Online monitoring and reporting
Online monitoring means transferring the values measured by sensors and analysers to the centre in real time. This flow is built together with the on-site data collection cabinet, secure communication channels and the software layer at the centre. Data is usually collected at intervals of a few minutes and prepared for reporting.
Two points are critical in the reporting process: the accuracy of the data and its continuity. Data accuracy is assured through calibration, and continuity through local buffering and redundant communication. Even if the connection is temporarily lost, data must not be lost and must be transmitted completely once the connection is restored.
The relationship between Marbin and SAİS
SAİS (Continuous Wastewater Monitoring System) is a general system that mandates uninterrupted monitoring and reporting of wastewater treatment plant discharge points. Marbin, by contrast, is a framework specific to the Marmara Basin that requires more advanced treatment and monitoring. The two obligations complement each other; many facilities are assessed under both scopes.
For this reason, designing a single monitoring infrastructure to meet both SAİS and Marbin requirements is advantageous in terms of both operational ease and cost.
A compliance checklist
- Verify whether your facility is within the Marbin scope according to current legislation.
- Determine the parameters to be monitored and the limit values according to your discharge permit.
- Plan local buffering and redundant communication for uninterrupted operation.
- Keep calibration and maintenance records up to date.
- Define reporting and archiving obligations.
Marbin compliance with Aqualon
Aqualon Wastewater meets the SAİS and Marbin requirements on a single platform. It integrates with your existing PLCs and sensors, transfers measurements to the cloud, raises instant alarms on limit exceedance and automates Ministry reporting. Thanks to its hardware-independent architecture, you do not need to change your existing infrastructure.
For facilities within the Marbin scope, nutrient removal and discharge monitoring needs are addressed together; this reduces environmental impact and creates a verifiable data history for audits.
For all the details and monitored parameters, see the Wastewater module page.