Bandar Abbas Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion and repairs will be over by the end of the current fiscal in March, said the managing director of Hormozgan Water and Wastewater Company.
“First phase of the project involves complete restoration of the plant to improve quantity and quality of the treatment process (in line with environmental standards),” Amin Qasmi said.
In the second phase, the treated wastewater will be piped to industries in the west of the key port city and also be used for urban green spaces, ISNA reported.
“The project is estimated to cost $30 million. We have mobilized to prevent wastewater flowing into the sea, curb pollution and reuse water as a sustainable source,” Qasmi added.
It is estimated that 83,000 cubic meters of untreated wastewater and sewage pours into the coastal waters of Bandar Abbas every day from refineries and industries.
According to Energy Ministry data, less than 25% of the wastewater is recycled at a time when the nation is grappling with a worsening water crisis. The government is trying hard to come up with schemes to curb water consumption and waste, especially in the agro sector.
Given years of dwindling rainfall and rising consumption, authorities and independent experts have called for more investment in collecting, treating and recycling water.
Currently, 195 wastewater treatment plants are operational in Iran with total sewage treatment capacity at 10.36 million cubic meters per day.
Official data show that over 295 cities, 49% of the total urban population, are connected to the wastewater system.
Over 34 million people in 300 cities are facing water problems, 17 million of whom live in areas with alarming water situations. This means that the expansion of wastewater treatment plants is far behind wastewater pipe-laying that has been undertaken in most cities.
