Potable water consumption amounts to a massive 7.5 billion cubic meters per annum, Iran's energy minister said.
"The country's limited non-renewable resources, including water, are being wasted in the worst possible way," Reza Ardakanian was also quoted as saying by IRNA on Thursday.
According to the minister, wasteful consumption patterns must be replaced by judicious ones, otherwise the water shortage challenge cannot be tackled despite the rise in precipitation rate.
"Close to 4.3 bcm of wastewater are produced in Iran per year, of which 3 bcm are either not treated or poorly-treated, causing an array of health and environmental disasters," Ardakanian said. Bacteria, pathogens and parasites found in untreated sewage can threaten people’s health, causing gastroenteritis, E.coli and salmonella.
"Exploited prudently, wastewater can play a key role in providing heavy industries with their much-needed water," he said, noting that wastewater treatment is the most effective solution to manage water demand, especially for industrial consumption. "The precipitation rate since the beginning of the current water year (started Sept. 23, 2017) has stood at an average of 128.6 millimeters, indicating a drop of 40% compared with last year’s corresponding period. The figure comprises one-third of the global average."
Located in one of the world’s most water-stressed regions, Iran’s average precipitation rate has been lower than the global average for at least 10 years. Some experts and environmentalists denounce a widely-held notion that chronic water shortages can be alleviated only by higher precipitation.
Ardakanian said wastewater treatment is the best approach to manage the issue.
"Over 3 billion cubic meters of water are wasted annually, with each cubic meter causing the pollution of 40 cubic meters of usable water. In case necessary measures are not taken, Iran will face an irremediable challenge," he said.
On dam construction projects, he noted that 26 dams with a capacity of 4.3 bcm of water have come on stream since 2013.
Ardakanian stressed that despite water scarcity, production and availability of healthy and sufficient food resources, which is a main concern of governments and policymakers worldwide, must not be endangered.
