Plan to Fine Heavy Water Consumers

The Energy Ministry will send its proposal to fine households with high water consumption to the Majlis to encourage more judicious use of the precious resource and help mitigate the effects of water shortage, especially in populated cities.

This would be the second time the proposal is heading to the legislature for approval, after it was rejected early this year for "coinciding with preparations for the parliamentary elections (in February)", said Hamidreza Janbaz, an advisor to Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian and managing director of Tehran Water and Wastewater Company.

According to the ministry, the average water use per household should be around 18 cubic meters per month. However, based on the proposal, households whose monthly water consumption exceed 40 cubic meters will incur a surcharge to compensate for the lower fees paid by low and average consumer groups, ISNA reported.

"Heavy consumers will be notified two or three times via mail. If they do not reduce their water consumption, their water supply will be cut off," Janbaz said.

He announced that the plan is expected to go into effect by the end of the current Iranian year (March 20, 2017).

Located in one of the world’s most water-stressed regions, Iran’s rainfall is a third of the global average which, combined with injudicious consumption, waste and climate change, has inflicted 16 years of relentless drought on the country of 80 million people.

About 90% of the country’s water resources are used in the agriculture sector, with 60% of it wasted due to inefficient and outdated practices at a time when rainfall has reached its lowest levels in recent time.

The authorities have repeatedly emphasized that people play a key role in controlling water use, as evidenced by how judicious use helped the country get through water scarcity last year.