Tehran Groundwater Overuse a Ticking Time Bomb

Groundwater extraction from the plains in and around Tehran Province is 10 times faster than the rate at which water tables can replenish themselves, a water resources management expert said.
“Pumping groundwater at a faster rate than it can be recharged could have a worsening impact on the environment and the people using the water, some of which are lowering the water tables and reducing water streams and rivers, leading to land subsidence, seismic activities, vegetation degradation, food security implications and deterioration of water quality,” Dariush Mokhtari also told ISNA.
Water resources in the sprawling capital are already under tremendous pressure and adding to the number of subscribers in the mega city is a recipe for disaster, he added.
Tehran accounts for a massive 17% or 1 billion cubic meters of the total potable water consumed in Iran per year, which amounts to 7 bcm.