Tehran Governorate will impose fines on households with high water consumption to encourage residents to reduce their water use and help mitigate the effects of water shortage, especially in the hot summer days.
Located in one of the world’s most water-stressed regions, Iran’s rainfall is a third of the global average, which combined with injudicious consumption, waste and climate change, has inflicted 16 years of relentless drought on the country of 80 million people.
“Hot weather in summer results in higher water consumption which, considering the country’s low precipitation, will cause problems down the line,” Tehran Governor Isa Farhadi told ISNA.
“Although rainfall increased slightly in the current water year (started September 2015), the crisis still threatens the country. People play a key role in controlling water use, as evidenced by how judicious use helped us get through last year.”
Last year, the Energy Ministry increased water tariffs by 20%. However, water tariffs are currently not considered high for the low and average consumer groups. But, high consumers will incur a surcharge to compensate for the lower fees paid by the first two groups.
About 90% of the country’s water resources are used in the agriculture sector, with 60% of it wasted due to inefficient and outdated practices at a time when rainfall has reached its lowest levels in recent time.
