Executive operations for the construction of an arsenic removal facility in the northwestern province of Ardabil have started, deputy director of Planning and Development Department at the provincial water and wastewater company said.
“Estimated to cost $20 million, the facility will have the capacity to process 500 liters of water per second,” Jebraeel Ramezani was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
A poisonous and carcinogenic metalloid, arsenic is found in the environment through natural and manmade sources, he added.
Noting that the gravest danger emanates from dissolved arsenic in drinking water, the official said having an effective arsenic filter is, therefore, essential for ensuring a safe supply of drinking water.
Since arsenic is commonly found in water as a dissolved substance, such as arsenate or arsenite, conventional filter materials have reached their full potentials, hence they are replaced by other methods, such as ion exchange and membrane processes.
“Close to 100,000 cubic meters of water can be stored in the region’s reservoirs, but they need to be treated and the province is deprived of such facilities,” he said.
“A large volume [35%] of drinking water is lost due to seepage and rusting pipelines.”
Almost half of the water network in the province is outdated and should be replaced to reduce the monumental water loss (20 million cubic meters per year) in the network, as the region continues to struggle with the worsening water crisis.
Non-Revenue Wastage
Non-revenue wastage rate in Iran is 27%, of which 15% are real losses (through seepage, also referred to as physical loss) and 12% are apparent losses (through water theft or metering inaccuracies).
A mind-boggling 700 million cubic meters of water are wasted annually in Iran at a time when the nation’s prominent environmentalists and economic experts are struggling to find effective ways to curb consumption and waste.
According to Ramezani, the crucial task of supplying water in Ardabil Province will not be accomplished unless $350 million are invested in the region’s water projects.
"Efficiently managing the dwindling water resources is more challenging in rural areas largely due to the decentralized networks and lack of meters," he added.
According to the Geological Survey & Mineral Exploration Organization of Iran, close to 37 million Iranians live in water-stressed regions. This is a dire condition when capita water consumption in metropolises like Tehran and Isfahan exceeds 200 liters. The global average is 150 liters.
Iran annually needs 100 billion cubic meters of water, while the country has less than 88 bcm of renewable sources.
The injudicious use and waste of groundwater from legal and illegal wells have emerged as a major problem in Iran's struggle against the water crisis that has gotten worse over the past half century as precipitation declines and consumption rises.
According to provincial officials, the agricultural sector in Ardabil Province annually produces an estimated 4.5 million tons of products, including lentils, canola, potatoes, honey, sugarbeet, wheat and barley.
Potato, vegetables, food and dairy products are among the main exports of the province to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Iraq, Turkey, Georgia and the UAE.
Water Projects
A water project has been launched in the eastern neighboring province of Ardabil, Mehr News Agency reported.
The first phase of the project to supply water to the cities of Namin and Anbaran has become operational with an investment of $1.5 million.
The project, which was started eight years ago, had been delayed several times due to lack of financial resources.
With the launch of the project, 80 liters per second of water are being supplied to the two cities.
The second phase of the project, estimated to cost $2.4 million, is expected to be completed next year and increase the supply capacity to 167 liters per second.
Besides providing water to the cities of Anbaran and Namin, the second phase will also supply water to five villages.
The construction of Anbaran Dam in Namin County is underway to supply farms and feed downstream wells and aqueducts.
About $1.3 million have been invested in the project. With a capacity of 1 million cubic meters, the dam has progressed by 60% and is expected to be inaugurated by 2024.
Iran is situated in an arid and semi-arid region, and average precipitation rate has fallen below the global average while underground water resources are drying up rapidly.
The average annual rainfall in the world is 750 millimeters, but the figure is 250 mm in Iran, which is one-third the global average.
