Water consumption in Tehran reached 40,000 liters per second over the last seven days, up 15% compared with the same period of a year ago.
According to data from Tehran Regional Water Company and the Energy Ministry, the upswing is alarming as the level of water in dams in the sprawling province is on the downswing, ILNA reported.
“Dams supplying water to Tehran, namely Taleqan, Latyan, Mamlou, Karaj and Lar, now hold a total of 559 million cubic meters of water, which are 65 mcm less than in the same period of last year when it was 624 mcm,” the report added.
The five dams together can hold 2 billion cubic meters of water, but now they are only 25% full.
Tehran has received 179 millimeters of rainfall since Sept. 23, 2022, (the beginning of the current water year), indicating a 30% decline over a 50-year period.
According to the official, 30% of potable water demand in the province can be met through dams and the rest must be extracted from underground resources, which are already in bad conditions.
Referring to global standards, a four-member family's average water use is 15 cubic meters per month in the world, whereas it is 30 cubic meters in Tehran for almost 40% of households.
According to Mohammad Reza Bakhtiari, the head of Tehran Water and Wastewater Company, there are no plans to restrict water use, but if subscribers do not rethink their imprudent consumption pattern, a significant decrease in water pressure in some areas will be inevitable.
Average water consumption in most cities and towns is around 200 liters per day, whereas the figure hovers around 305 liters for at least 40% of households in Tehran.
“Tehran Province accounts for 25% of total water consumption in Iran, which is around 100 billion cubic meters,” he said.
Heavy Consumers
Close to 370,000 heavy consumers (using more than 30,000 liters per month) have been notified by TWWC and their supply will be cut off unless they curb consumption, he added.
This is while Tehran Province’s population comprises 17.5% of the country’s total population.
Unsustainable consumption pattern seriously threatens water supply in the sprawling capital amid low rainfall and persistent drought.
Pointing to Tehran's water supply plight, the TWWC chief said most people realize the severity of the problem, so they must consume water more responsibly, which means daily water consumption of Tehran’s residents should not surpass 250 liters.
“State and private organizations should also be compelled to use water more judiciously to help mitigate the impact of the unprecedented water shortage in Tehran,” he added.
Bakhtiari warned that if the current situation persists, there will be no option but to impose fines on households with high consumption levels.
Experts and environmentalists denounce the widely-held notion that chronic water shortages can be alleviated only by higher precipitation.
Desertification, climate change, illegal water wells, wasteful farming practices, water-intensive industries in arid regions and injudicious water use in households are known to have a far greater impact on the worsening crisis.
Reportedly, there are 13,000 legal and 32,000 illegal water wells in Tehran Province alone.
