Water Level in Dams Down 30% YOY

Since the beginning of the current water year (Sept. 23), the level of water in dams across Iran has declined by 30% year-on-year, the head of Data and Information Department at Iran Water Resources Management Company said.
“Currently, dams in the country have 18 billion cubic meters of water while the figure was 24 bcm last year. The total capacity of dams in Iran is 50 bcm and they are now less than 40% full,” Firouz Qasemzadeh was also quoted as saying by ILNA.
Since the start of the current water year, water outflow from dams has reached 4 bcm, he added.
The decline in precipitation in the current water year is the key factor that has reduced the water level in dams. This is while the spread of coronavirus has forced households to consume more water for improving hygiene.
Following the outbreak of Covid-19 about a year and a half ago and the need to observe personal hygiene measures, water consumption has soared because of regular handwashing and cleaning. 
Qasemzadeh noted that since the beginning of the pandemic in Iran in February 2020, water consumption in some cities has increased by up to 45%.
Except for Rais Ali Dilvari Dam in Bushehr Province, other major dams in the country have less water compared to a year ago. Shamil and Nian dams in Hormozgan Province have had the largest decline as their storage levels have dropped by 79%.
Chah-Nimeh water reservoirs and dams in Sistan-Baluchestan Province are also in poor conditions.