Over $3.5 million have been spent on the construction of Khorramroud Dam in Tuyserkan County, Hamedan Province, by the private sector, managing director of the provincial Regional Water Company said.
“Built on a namesake river, Khorramroud Dam is estimated to cost $20 million,” Mansour Sotoudeh was also quoted as saying by the Energy Ministry’s news portal Paven.
The project is almost halfway through and is expected to be completed next year, he added.
Sotoudeh noted with a capacity to store approximately 8 million cubic meters, the dam will supply drinking water to 40 villages and also be used in agriculture and industries.
Speaking about other water projects in the county, the official said the water supply project to Tuyserkan from Sarabi Dam is underway and so far more than $1 million have been spent on it.
“The water treatment plant in the county is being constructed by the private sector with a total investment of $1 million. The project is in its final stages,” he said.
Tuyserkan is located about 100 km south of Hamedan in western Iran. It is well known for its high-quality walnut that is the main export commodity of the county. Other agricultural products include wheat, barley, potatoes, apples, plums, peaches and pears.
Four dams have been built in western Hamedan Province in the past eight years that have boosted storage capacity to 126 million cubic meters.
Hamedan is one of the regions exposed to drought in the past 15 years. It is Iran’s fifth grape producer after Fars, Qazvin, Khorasan Razavi and West Azarbaijan.
The construction of dams and wastewater treatment plants is apparently the only way to augment the fertile region's water resources for farming.
Iran has a disproportionate spatial distribution of rainfall, a major part of the rainfall in a short period and in specific regions.
Dam reservoirs help collect the rainwater to be used during the rest of the year.
Sealing Illegal Wells
Noting that since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 21), 25 illegal water wells have been sealed, the official said the measure has helped save 1.26 million cubic meters in the past eight months.
Due to a shortage of surface water, farmers in the province normally draw water from illegal deep wells. The government has started sealing unauthorized wells to conserve the rapidly depleting resource and discourage the harmful practice of digging and using illegal wells.
According to Sotoudeh, illegal water wells are being sealed in the province and farmers who draw water over and above the amount mentioned in their water permit will be penalized.
Installation of Smart Meters
To help reduce water consumption, 27 smart meters have been installed on water wells in the first half of the current fiscal year [started March 21], the official said.
‘Smart’ wells are advanced wells with sensors and valves installed downhole to allow easy and constant monitoring by the utilities.
The installation of smart meters on wells helps control groundwater use and prevents overconsumption and waste.
If farmers draw more water than the amount specified for them from their well, electricity is cut off automatically and they will not be able to extract water until inspectors from the water and electricity departments check the consumption.
The Energy Ministry has placed the conversion of traditional wells into smart wells on its agenda in recent years.
