60 Percent of Tehran's Sewage Enters Agricultural Lands

The head of the Agricultural, Water, and Natural Resources Commission of the Parliament stated that "only 40 percent of Tehran's sewage is treated," adding that "unfortunately, 60 percent of sewage is left untreated and pollutes the groundwater and agricultural lands in the south of the capital." According to the news agency "House of the Nation," Ali-Mohammad Shaeri reported this on Tuesday, August 4, mentioning that part of this contaminated water enters absorption wells, leading to groundwater pollution. This parliament member noted that some of this sewage irrigates agricultural lands in southern Tehran, which "causes contamination of agricultural products such as vegetables and other crops" and can lead to infectious diseases. The head of the Agricultural Commission stated that "the lack of sewage networks and treatment plants" in parts of southern Tehran and "the lack of necessary coordination among responsible agencies" have caused this problem. He also mentioned that "citizens are reluctant to pay for connections due to the high costs of connection fees and other expenses, so while 60 percent of the capital is covered by the sewage network, unfortunately, only 40 percent is connected to the sewage system, and 60 percent is left untreated." According to Ali-Mohammad Shaeri, "the daily sewage production of Tehran is 2.5 million cubic meters," and part of this sewage enters the city's groundwater, while "about 45 percent of the capital's drinking water is supplied through groundwater." Previously, Abed Fattahi, a member of the Health Commission of the Parliament, had warned that many intestinal and gastrointestinal diseases, including "salmonella," "campylobacter," and "amoeba," are transmitted through sewage water to vegetables and then to humans through consumption. In recent months, similar reports have emerged from other parts of Iran, including that "60 percent of urban sewage enters the Caspian Sea untreated," "60 percent of Bandar Abbas sewage enters the sea untreated," and that "60 percent of Kermanshah's sewage is untreated."