The most stable strategy for having long-term access to sustainable water resources is by expanding wastewater treatment projects.
Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian made the statement in a ceremony to inaugurate a new wastewater plant in Estahban, a city in Fars Province, ILNA reported on Saturday.
According to the official, less than 48% of the Iranian population are linked with the wastewater network, that is why the private sector should be provided with major financial incentives to play a wider role in expanding the grid, otherwise launching the venture will take a long time.
"Low levels of precipitation in recent years has forced officials to be particularly sensitive about consumption patterns," Ardakanian said, adding that adopting the most suitable patterns to meet potable and agricultural water demand is high on the ministry's agenda.
Highlighting the significance of efficiency, he said, "Plans are underway to supply urban dwellers, especially in water-stressed regions, with water for drinking and irrigation not only by desalinating seawater but also by pumping underground water resources, a large amount of which will naturally turn into wastewater.
Noting that about 4.3 billion cubic meters of effluent water are generated from about 6 bcm of drinking water, Ardakanian said Iran can only reuse 1.2 billion cubic meters of the wastewater, which should increase.
According to the minister, more than 20 million hectares of farming land all over the world are irrigated with the help of treated wastewater and Iran should adopt the same approach.
"It is practically impossible to develop wastewater schemes with the help of state finances," he added, noting that as long as the private sector is not economically encouraged, the completion of such projects will be prolonged. The minister added that less than 10% of Fars Province population are linked with the wastewater network and concerted efforts should be made to increase it.
Iran’s annual water consumption tops 97 billion cubic meters, while the country only has 88 bcm of renewable sources. Experts predict that the country’s water scarcity will hit crisis level by 2025, when available renewable water will be less than 1,000 cubic meters per capita, down from 2,000 cubic meters in 1950.
Ardakanian added that studies must be conducted to see whether “the cultivation of many products is feasible compared to the amount of water used by them”, and what approaches can be adopted to reduce water consumption.
Several proposals have been made by experts to help alleviate the problem, some of which have been implemented. For instance, financial aid can be used to help farmers use modern irrigation equipment to prevent the critical water condition in the country from worsening.
Ardakanian noted that the government needs to devise new guidelines and decide how to use the scarce natural resource in a more efficient way, especially in sectors like agriculture. Excessive water consumption in agriculture is considered the main cause of the country’s water depletion. Over 90% of the country’s water resources are used up by unsustainable and wasteful farming practices.
