The managing director of TPWWC’s West Tehran Cities and Towns Company said 11.5% of the area covered by the company was connected to the sewerage system and this percentage will reach 20% by next March.
“Wastewater treatment plants in cities and towns in western Tehran have a production capacity of 50,000 cubic meters per day,” the Energy Ministry news portal quoted Mehdi Akbarian as saying.
With new treatment units and expanding the network of pipes, capacity will reach 80,000 cubic meters per day by the end of the year, Financial Tribune reported.
Cities and towns on the province’s southwestern flank include Shahriar, Andisheh, Malard, Qods, Baghestan, Saba Shahr, Shahedshahr, Vahidiyeh, Ferdowsieh and Safadasht.
Expediting construction of wastewater treatment plants in Tehran is a priority of the TPWWC.
Pipe-laying work has been undertaken in most districts of the rapidly expanding capital to connect households, businesses and industries to the crucial wastewater network.
Given years of dwindling rainfall and rising consumption, conservationists and experts have called for more funding for collecting, treating and recycling water.
Wastewater treatment plants provide water for the agricultural and industrial needs.
Expansion of sewerages helps prevent pollution of underground water resources and reduce the need to tap into dwindling underground water tables.
Official reports say 220 wastewater treatment plants are operating across Iran and total sewage treatment capacity has reached 11 million cubic meters a day.
An additional 32 plants are in different stages of construction and will come on stream by 2021.
Over 63,000 km of wastewater networks have been laid and 295 cities are now connected to the national grid.
Approximately 7.5 billion cubic meters of usable water is produced annually, of which 4.3 bcm is wasted. Less than 25% of wastewater is recycled -- a setback that demands proper response and responsibility from those in charge of water affairs.
Fresh Water Supply
Speaking about potable water, Akbarian noted: “Drinking water for southwest Tehran comes entirely from underground sources, and the company plans to expand the wastewater network by 90% until 2025”.
Considering the population growth in southwest Tehran, the region requires sustainable supply of potable water. “We plan to move towards the use of surface waters, but due to lack of proper infrastructure, this has not been realized yet,” he was quoted as saying.
More households are moving to the southwest of Tehran due to the special housing projects and relatively lower prices.
It is estimated that by 2040, the population in the western parts of the province will reach 2.5 million.