Heavy rainfall since the beginning of the current water year last September and especially in the past several days has increased the volume of water stored in dams.
According to news data from the Iran Water Resources Management Company, 262.6 millimeters of rainfall was recorded in the 7-month period, 29% over and above the long-term average. Dams now hold 34.8 billion cubic meters of water, IRNA reported.
There are 193 dams in Iran with total storage capacity of 50 bcm of water. As of now the dams are approximately 69% full.
However, water level in all dams are not the same. While, 61 dams are over 90% full, 28 dams hold less than a third of their capacity with 28%.
Although precipitation in different regions show a rise compared to the long-term average, increase in river basins also differ.
Hamoun Wetlands in the east (Sistan-Baluchestan Province) show 44% growth, the highest among other basins. It has received 122.9 mm of rain so far.
Downpours in other basins including the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman in the south, Urmia Lake in northwest and the Caspian Sea in the north also show a rise compared to the long-term average.
The Persian Gulf and Oman Sea plus the Caspian Sea, registered 404.9 mm and 352.7 mm of rain, up 24% and 22% respectively. With 14% increase, Urmia Lake received 283.6 mm.
With all the welcome news notwithstanding, increase in rainfall and high water levels in dams seems to be overshadowed by the huge rise in water consumption across the country.
Unprecedented Consumption
Provinces have reported a hike in water use unprecedented at this time (spring) of the year. As is always the case, Tehran tops the list with 3 million cubic meters a day, which is 700,000 cubic meters more than the same period in previous years.
Provinces like Mazandaran in the north and Kermanshah in the west have reported rising water consumption by 40% and 30% respectively.
This huge amount of water consumed in early spring is the same as figures registered in the hot summers in the recent past. This is happening at a time when the climate is relatively colder these days compared to March and April of years gone by.
The soaring consumption is due to the spread of the novel coronavirus and the need to wash hands and substances several times a day to avoid being infected with the deadly and contagious virus.
Following outbreak of the coronavirus in Iran and 209 countries, plus the need to observe health safety measures, water consumption has jumped because of regular washing of hands and possessions.
Safety measures, among other things, include cleaning hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds each time.
Although there have not been any water cutoffs, water authorities officials are worried about the excessive use and have appealed for more conservation andn judicious use They have expressed concern over the fact that if the current trend of water consumption continues, the country might face serious problems in \ summer.
This is while even under normal conditions, providing water for some regions has long been a difficult exercise, especially during the hot seasons. An average Iranian uses 250 liters of water per day, while per capita water consumption in metropolises such as Tehran may exceed 300 liters, which is above the global average.
First reported in China in December, the coronavirus has caused a dangerous outbreak of respiratory illness (COVID-19) globally, overturned lives and pushed big and small economies into a induced coma.
The total number of people worldwide who have tested positive for the virus exceeded 1.8 million with over 113,000 deaths by Monday. Iran has confirmed more than 73,000 cases of known infections with over 4,600 dead.
