Over 45 million cubic meters of drinking water in Hormozgan are supplied annually through desalination.
Currently, 26% of the province's water needs are met through the purification of seawater and 74% are provided by surface and groundwater resources, managing director of the provincial Water and Wastewater Company said.
"With the completion of desalination projects in urban and rural areas of the province, more than 60% of the province's water will be supplied through desalination by the end of the current Iranian year (March 2022), and dependence on surface and groundwater will drop to 40%,” IRNA also quoted Amin Qasemi as saying.
“Currently, 10 desalination plants with a total capacity of 20,000 cubic meters per day are under construction to supply water to 100 villages in different parts of Hormozgan.”
Qasemi noted that with the completion of these projects, more than 75,000 people in rural areas will have access to safe and sustainable water.
Ten desalination projects are underway in Bandar Abbas, Bastak, Dargahan, Parsian, Minab and Sirik, which are expected to come on stream by March 2022.
Hormozgan is a dry province with low rainfall, suffering from a chronic water shortage.
However, according to Qasemi, last year's rainfall in Hormozgan decreased by 95% compared to the average of the previous year, making a bad situation worse.
Low Rainfall, Groundwater Depletion
The lower precipitation, digging of illegal wells and the improper use of groundwater resources in different parts of the southern province have led to a drop in groundwater levels, which led to the drying up of many rivers, springs and aqueducts.
This shows the importance of treating seawater to meet the water needs of the province located on the coastline of the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman.
With the sharp decrease in rainfall in the current water year (started September 2020), the level of water in dams and underground resources has dropped.
Some 465 wells as well as 18 springs and aqueducts have dried up. Under the circumstances, desalination plants can help supply water to people, industries and farmers, the official said.
Qasemi noted that like in other provinces, underground resources are depleting in Hormozgan and tapping into unconventional water resources, such as seawater, is a necessity.
Villages have been abandoned and expanding water desalination infrastructure can help curb migration and contribute to sustainable rural development in the dry region.
Tapping into the sea to produce clean water is high on the Energy Ministry’s agenda, as it is considered a more viable means for ensuring sustainable supplies rather than tapping into the fast dwindling water tables.
The capacity of water desalination plants in Hormozgan has increased sixfold in the past eight years, from 15 million cubic meters per year in 2013 to 95 mcm/y now, with the efforts of the government and the private sector.
There are now 47 desalination plants operating in the southern province, which is more than double the number of plants active eight years ago, namely 20 units.
The province has a population of 1.6 million. Almost all urban population and 96% of the people in rural regions are covered by the provincial water company.
National, Global Status
Although close to 60 desalination plants with a capacity of 250,000 cubic meters per day (91 mcm per year) are functioning in different parts of Iran, desalinated water comprises a meager 0.1% of the total annual water consumption while it is 70% in some neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia.
Iran's annual water consumption is about 100 billion cubic meters, of which less than 100 million cubic meters are produced by desalination plants in coastal regions, namely Khuzestan, Hormozgan and Bushehr.
Approximately 142 million cubic meters of seawater are desalinated on a daily basis around the globe. However, Iran's share is as little as 250,000 cubic meters per day.
Unconventional water resources, such as reclaimed and desalinated water, have emerged as effective solutions for the sustainable and long-term management of drinking water in parched regions like Hormozgan and Bushehr. These water resources are generated as a byproduct of specialized processes such as desalination, or which need suitable pre-use treatment before use for irrigation.
