Higher Rainfall Has No Space for Complacency

EghtesadOnline: Since September 23 (the beginning of the current water year), water flowing into dams has reached 2 billion cubic meters -- up 87% compared to last year.

News ID: ۷۴۸۸۲۰

28 October 2019

Dams across Iran can hold a maximum of 50 billion cubic meters of water. Precipitation in the last few days has raised water in dams by 39%, surpassing 26 bcm, ISNA reported.

Of the 172 dams close to 16 are 90% full and the rest half full.

The amount of water flowing out of dams in the 33 days is estimated to be around 4 bcm, up 100% compared to the previous year, according to Financial Tribune.

Precipitation has risen 33% compared to last year. Average rainfall in the 31 provinces was reported at 11.6 millimeters in the period.

Khorasan Razavi Province, one the largest provinces that borders Afghanistan, which has been struggling with chronic water shortages for several decades,  reported 295 mm of rain in the period, up 148% compared to a year ago.

South Khorasan reported the lowest rainfall at 1.2 mm, down 100%.

The northern provinces, namely Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan reported the highest rainfall at 145 mm, 101 mm and 36 mm respectively.

Dams were 82% full in May but are now at 55%. In 2018 the level was 45%.

Iran is divided into six primary river basins. The Caspian Sea in the north and Karakum and the Central Plateau in Markazi Province had the highest and lowest rainfall since September. The former registered 46 millimeters. The latter barely 0.1 millimeters.

Other basins include the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman in the south, Urmia Lake in northwest and Hamoun Wetlands in the east (mainly in Sistan-Baluchestan Province).

Five dams supplying water to Tehran have more water compared to previous years. However, as the capacity of surface water pipelines is limited due to seepage and ageing infrastructure, Tehranis are often warned to be more careful about water use, managing director of Tehran Regional Water Company Seyed Hassan Razavi said.

“Tehran dams have around 239 million cubic meters of water more than last year,” Razavi said.

Tehran dams (Karaj, Latyan, Taleqan, Lar and Mamlou) together can hold 2 billion cubic meters of water. Dams now hold 817 mcm -- up 40% compared to last year’s figure of 579 mcm.

According to water experts, about 35% of water is lost in the network due to seepage and rust -- a loss the government in Tehran and its army of urban planners cannot afford when the water crisis is mentioned by them in the mass media and special congresses on a very regular basis.

Tehran’s water network is more than 50 years old.

The amount of potable water used annually in Tehran Province alone exceeds 1.4 billion cubic meters, accounting for almost 20% of the total potable water consumption in the country of 82 million people.