The National Water and Wastewater Engineering Company of Iran (Abfa) is ready to supply at least 15 million cubic meters of treated wastewater to Tehran Municipality a year for watering parks and green spaces, the deputy head of operations at Tehran Water and Wastewater Company said.
“Six wastewater treatment plants are up and running in Tehran, producing 17 mcm of reclaimed sewage a year, because of which TM is no longer allowed to tap into depleting underground resources in the sprawling capital,” Morteza Ehteshami was also quoted as saying by ILNA.
“The metropolis of Tehran is divided into 22 municipal districts, and the supply of treated wastewater to District 2 has already started. Similar talks are underway with mayors of districts 5, 9, 1 and 3.”
Tehran Municipality uses 150 million cubic meters of water from ground resources annually while the water crisis is causing serious concerns.
“The municipality is using 400,000 cubic meters of water every day, all of which are pumped from underground tables that are in bad shape,” he added.
To help reduce this prohibitive amount, the Energy Ministry and TM signed a contract last year, based on which the latter is obliged to use recycled wastewater instead of the rapidly diminishing underground resources.
Based on the contract, TM is required to meet its daily need for watering parks and green spaces from unconventional sources, namely treated wastewater.
Ehteshami noted that TWWC is ready to deliver treated wastewater to the capital’s municipality.
“The water, which complies with environmental standards, is piped largely to southern Tehran for farming and industrial use, and is also suitable for green spaces,” he added.
Conserving Resources
Recalling that wastewater is playing an increasingly important role in conserving water resources in most countries, Ehteshami said, “TWWC is ready to supply at least 400,000 cubic meters of wastewater to municipal districts per day.”
Tehran wastewater treatment plants are located in Shahrak-e Gharb, Shahrak-e Mahallati, Ekbatan Town, Zargandeh, Qeytariyeh and Sahebqaraniyeh districts.
An estimated $2 billion have been spent on expanding wastewater infrastructure in the capital that hosts some 10 million people.
Unlike some countries, recycled wastewater is not used for drinking purposes in Iran, as it is against Islamic tenets. Wastewater is used largely for industrial and agricultural needs.
“The population covered by the national wastewater network has surged from 2.4 million to 30 million over the last three decades,” the TWWC official said.
Expansion of wastewater network has been a priority in the sprawling capital in recent decades, but lack of funds in addition to the rapid expansion of urban areas has slowed, and at times hampered, the process.
Not only does TWWC help the key agro sector and industries meet water needs, it has a biogas plant that is linked to the national electricity grid.
