Water shortage in Tehran and increasing concerns; "meter separation" proposed to reduce water consumption

A 30 percent reduction in the inflow of Tehran's five dams has raised concerns about a water shortage crisis during the hot season, and official news agencies in Iran have reported that the water situation in the capital has crossed the "alarming threshold."

According to the Water and Wastewater Company, more than 76 percent of water consumption in Tehran province comes from renewable water sources, while the region's renewable water resources are "decreasing every day."

Mehr News Agency quoted Behzad Parsa, CEO of Tehran Regional Water Company, as reporting that the amount of precipitation in most months of the current water year is "less than normal," while water consumption is increasing.

According to him, the per capita water consumption in Tehran is "240 liters" per day. This amount for other parts of the country is "200 liters."

On the other hand, ISNA news agency reported in a report that per capita water consumption is "about 220 to 230 liters per day" and wrote: "According to the standard model, every Tehran resident should consume up to 130 liters of water."

The report cited rising temperatures, changing lifestyles, and cheap water as reasons for its excessive consumption, and proposed "separation of household meters" as a solution to reduce consumption, calling on responsible institutions to review "some laws."

Also, Mohammad Shahriari, Director General of the Water and Hydropower Facilities Office of the Tehran Regional Water Company, in an interview with the Islamic Republic Radio and Television, emphasized that "there is no possibility of providing agricultural water to the downstream of the dams," and announced that the reserves of Tehran's dams have decreased by 269 million cubic meters.

Concerns about water shortages in Tehran are increasing, while last summer, water and electricity outages became one of the major crises in Iran, leading to widespread protests in several provinces, including Tehran.

Source: Voice of America