Integrated approach to water and wastewater management for Tehran, Iran

Tehran, with a population of over 7 million, is experiencing perhaps the fastest urban development of all Asian cities. The population growth in the next decade will place immense demands on the city's water resources. Tehran is one of the largest cities in the world that lacks an adequate wastewater collection and treatment system. Most of the city's wastewater is disposed under the ground, without any treatment, through the use of injection wells to recharge the groundwater. This type of disposal is unique and has caused some water supplies to be polluted, raised the water table, and degraded surface water channels. In this article, analysis is made of the increasing potable water demand, resulting from continuous population growth; inadequacies in the water resources supply that are causing a chronic potable water shortage; and pollution of raw water due to inappropriate disposal of wastewater without adequate treatment. The extent of these increasing demands when placed against the constraints of water, time, funds, and the lack of an integrated approach to manage drought impact and pollution of groundwater, confirms that the city faces a serious water and wastewater crisis.