Underground water resources are depleting at unprecedented speed in Yazd Province, head of the provincial company said.
“Underground water level is falling by 45 centimeters per year,” Mohammad Mahdi Javadianzadeh was quoted as saying by the Energy Ministry’s news portal.
An estimated 4,000 legal water wells have been dug in the dry province in the last few years, exacerbating water crisis in most plains in the region, he noted.
Drawing a parallel between modern technology and older methods to help consume water prudently, he noted that modern water-saving gadgets (namely low flow water efficient showerheads, automatic shut-off nozzles, and droplet sprinklers) have proven not to be as effective as ancient ways like qanats.
Qanats are underground aqueducts first used by Persians 1000 BC. The structures were used to transfer water from aquifers in highlands to the surface at lower levels by gravity. Historians believe qanats of Iran were built on a scale that rivaled the great aqueducts of the Roman Empire.
“Our ancestors used water more wisely although water crisis was less of a concern at the time.”
Reviving old methods, passing them down to the younger generation and teaching schoolchildren to value the limited sources can help address the problem to some extent.
In related news, the official added that an average one billion cubic meters of water is extracted from groundwater sources in the arid central province every year, which has caused severe water deficits in most plains.
Groundwater overdraft may lead to destruction of farmlands, increase the possibility of dust storms, creation of holes in the plains, higher salt content in groundwater and land subsidence.
To slow down the destructive pattern, Yazd Regional Water Company has adopted measures including installing smart meters for water wells and sealing illegal wells that are in abundance.
A smart meter is a modern electricity meter that digitally sends meter readings to energy suppliers and ensures accurate billing.
Yazd is in the center of Iran where two deserts of Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut meet. Due to the dry and arid climate conditions plus long and near permanent droughts, Yazd needs more pro-active management and optimal use of its fast depleting water resources.
