Two water treatment plants are slated to be built in northeast Tehran after they are put out to tender in the near future, managing director of Tehran Province Water and Wastewater Company said.
Ali Asghar Riazati said the two projects will be built in the capital's Lavizan and Sorkheh-Hesar districts under build-operate-transfer contracts. He did not say whether foreign contractors would be able to put in their bids, IRNA reported.
Lavizan water treatment unit will produce around 20 million cubic meters of wastewater a year. It is planned to be constructed in three years at an estimated cost of $34 million, with the company pledging to buy the unit's wastewater for 25 years at a guaranteed price.
The unit's construction is expected to start in the first half of 2016.
Similarly, Sorkheh-Hesar plant is expected to take three years to be built at a similar cost and TPWWC will purchase the unit's 57 mcm in annual wastewater production under a 25-year contract.
Riazati said the wastewater of the two units will be used to water the city's green spaces.
According to reports, five wastewater projects are under development in Tehran.
TPWWC officials said last months that 13 wastewater treatment projects in Tehran were awaiting $280 million in foreign direct investment for completion.
Investment in the wastewater sector is becoming increasingly crucial, as the Iranian capital is facing severe shortage of water resources. Iran’s average annual rainfall is around 250 millimeters with Tehran receiving roughly 235 mm.
Energy officials say nearly 3,000 water and wastewater projects nationwide are incomplete due to a lack of funds. In addition, water and wastewater projects nationwide require $22 billion in investment, according to the National Water and Wastewater Engineering Company.
