To help solve water pressure reduction in Alborz Province, the Karaj Water Treatment Plant will come on stream soon, the managing director of the provincial water and wastewater company said.
“The new unit will increase water supply capacity in the region by 100 liters per second,” Hamidreza Namdari was also quoted as saying by the Energy Ministry’s news portal.
As a temporary solution to curb the decline in water pressure, the company has dug 10 new wells in the area, but as soon as the new facility opens, the wells will be sealed, he added.
Namdari said the development project of Karaj Water Treatment Plant has registered 98% progress and is expected to become operational in August.
“The facility’s capacity will increase by 33% with the use of new equipment and ceramic membrane filtration system,” he said.
Water treatment using ceramic filters is one of the most advanced water purification methods. In addition to occupying little space, it has a higher quality of purification compared to sand filters.
The ceramic membrane filtration system is a water treatment system to generate clean and clear tap water by eliminating impurities (bacteria and protozoa such as cryptosporidium) and turbidity in raw water from river systems and well water.
Moreover, a project is underway in Alborz Province to build water storage reservoirs with a capacity of 55,000 cubic meters.
Water Reservoirs
Although the region has water reservoirs with a capacity of 500,000 cubic meters, plans are underway to increase the capacity by 40%, as water consumption is rising.
Of the total new capacity (200,000 cubic meters), close to 22,000 cubic meters are in place, about 55,000 cubic meters will become operational by mid-August and the rest is expected to come on stream in 2024.
The province’s population increases by 100,000 people per annum and supplying water to 4 million residents in the hot summer days poses a big challenge.
The high rate of inward migration, low precipitation and illegal water withdrawal from depleting underground water resources have contributed dangerously to water scarcity in the province.
In the 1990s, groundwater was available at a depth of 15 meters, but now wells have to be dug at least 300 meters to reach water.
The pattern of relocation to the province from many dry regions has dramatically increased water demand. It has also created new challenges for utilities and urban managers struggling to handle the influx.
An estimated 1 billion cubic meters of water are consumed in the province annually, of which 60 mcm are provided by rivers and the balance comes from underground resources and wells.
