Private Companies Join Kerman Wastewater Network Expansion

EghtesadOnline: Private firms have invested $86 million to expand wastewater networks in three cities in Kerman Province and the southeastern province now holds the record for the highest private investment in this sector.

News ID: ۷۵۱۶۷۷

09 December 2020

Wastewater projects in Kerman, Sirjan, and Zarand, which were supposed to be carried by the government, hit a wall three years ago due to financial issues. However, with the help of private companies work has resumed and is almost halfway through, the managing director of Kerman Province Water and Wastewater Company said without naming the companies.

Mohammad Taheri said, “In Kerman City so far over 660 kilometers of wastewater collection network has been built and the project has made 41% progress,” the Energy Ministry news portal Paven quoted him as saying. Another 250 km of network will be set up by the end of the current Persian calendar year in March 2021.

The first two phases of Kerman Wastewater Treatment Plant have been completed with a capacity of 30,600 cubic meters of sewage per day and further expansion of the plant is underway.

Laying 390 km of pipelines is planned for the sewage system in Sirjan of which 183 km is in place and the project has made 47% progress, Taheri noted.

“By the end of the fiscal year Sirjan wastewater collection network will be expanded by 132km,” the official said, adding that construction of Sirjan Wastewater Treatment Plant has made 42% progress and its first phase will be launched by next March.

Regarding the project is Zarand, Taheri said: “The plan is to lay 190 km of pipelines this calendar year and 52 km have been laid”.

The three projects are scheduled to be completed by 2023 and output of the plants will be used for agriculture and industrial purposes.

Kerman is the largest among Iran’s 31 provinces of Iran and produces pistachio, dates, walnut, wheat, potato, cherry, sour cherry, peach and apricot among others. It is the largest pistachio producer in the country.

Sirjan is home to several large companies including the Gol-Gohar Iron Ore Mine -- the largest of its kind. Across the country 60 wastewater plants are under construction and should be operational by next August.

Approximately 7.5 billion cubic meters of usable water is produced annually in Iran of which 4.3 bcm is wasted and less than 25% is recycled. The population covered by the national wastewater network so far is 30 million.

There are 222 wastewater treatment plants and total sewage treatment capacity has surpassed 11 million cubic meters a day. Over 66,000 km of wastewater pipelines have been laid in the country and 300 cities are connected to the rapidly expanding system.