Water Waste Reduction Requires Billions of Tomans; Officials' Solution: 'Lifting Sanctions and Investment'

The Director General of 'Water Consumption Management and Waste Reduction' announced that 22 trillion tomans are needed to reduce water waste by one percent in the country, with Tehran's water network experiencing 10 to 11 percent leakage. According to the government news agency ILNA, the Director General of the Water and Wastewater Engineering Company stated that '32 percent of water in the country is unaccounted for, partly due to leaks, unauthorized use, and meter errors.' He added that in Tehran, 22 percent of water is unaccounted for, with 10 to 11 percent due to leaks in the water network. Seyedzadeh, referring to decreasing rainfall and increasing water supply issues, promised to 'intensify water waste reduction programs.' Among these programs, he mentioned the reconstruction of outdated networks, replacement and installation of smart meters, leak detection, water pressure management, separating drinking water from water used for green spaces, and replacing industrial water use with wastewater, emphasizing that these actions will be pursued more vigorously in the summer. The Director General of the Water and Wastewater Engineering Company discussed the dual network plan for Tehran, stating, 'This plan requires technical and economic studies. In areas where unconventional water resources are available and transporting fresh water is costly, this plan is on the agenda.' Seyedzadeh also referred to the implementation of this project in some regions of the country, including central provinces, Qom, and Razavi Khorasan, and some cities and villages, noting that water stations are being used to supply drinking water in these areas. In another part of the conversation with ILNA, Seyedzadeh pointed to the lack of 'foreign finance' for water waste reduction projects and expressed hope that 'with improved foreign policy conditions, securing investment from abroad will become possible.' He did not specify what he meant by 'improved foreign policy' of the Islamic Republic. The Director General of Water Consumption Management and Waste Reduction added that 'lifting sanctions can help attract foreign investors and bring in advanced technologies' and will also facilitate cooperation with domestic investors and producers. This government official did not clarify how lifting sanctions or attracting foreign investment would be feasible given the political conditions of the Islamic Republic. The Director General of the Water and Wastewater Company also reported negotiations with a Chinese company regarding satellite leak detection, stating that 'a pilot project in this area has been conducted, but the conditions for widespread implementation are currently not available,' without providing details about these 'conditions.' The wastage of one-tenth of the drinking water in Tehran's water network, along with the impractical promises of officials, occurs while the country faces a water crisis. Previously, in continuing the release of conflicting statistics by Islamic Republic officials, Hashem Amini, the CEO of the Iranian Water and Wastewater Company, announced that 43 cities are currently experiencing 'water stress.' This is while two years ago this figure was reported to be 300 cities. The Global Resources Institute, in a report published in Farvardin of this year, identified Iran as one of 25 countries facing the most severe water scarcity and stress, attributing it to 'decades of poor water management and unsustainable water use for agriculture.' The continuation of drought and the water crisis in Iran occurs while heavy rainfall in some areas of the country has led to flooding and extensive damage, claiming the lives of dozens of citizens.