There are some 600 unfinished water distribution projects across the country, deputy energy minister said, Fars news agency reported Friday. Rahim Meydani said, “The projects will take approximately 14 years to complete, given their current budgets.”
To help the funding of incomplete projects, parliament passed a law, stipulating that one percent of oil, natural gas, and gas condensate export revenues should be allocated to manage rising water supply and demand. Management and transfer of shared water with bordering countries, improving the distribution networks to prevent waste, construction of dams in bordering regions, purchase of water saved through conservation, and guaranteeing water purchase and supply by the private sector are among the said projects.
Meydani highlighted the guaranteed purchase of water produced by the private sector as a priority for the energy ministry and said $37.5 has been allocated for purchase of water from private firms in the present Iranian calendar year (March 2014-2015). Close to $188 million is planned to be allocated for the purchase of water in the next year.
