WANA (Nov 8)- For the first time in six decades, Tehran has gone through the first half of autumn without a single drop of rain. The capital’s taps are beginning to reflect it; water cuts have quietly crept across neighborhoods, often striking late at night, leaving residents uncertain when the next trickle will return.

The Ministry of Energy has acknowledged that the city has entered a phase of controlled water restrictions after five consecutive years of drought. Abbas Aliabadi, Iran’s Minister of Energy, said the government has been forced to lower water pressure across the capital to prevent waste and preserve supplies.

 

“We may have to bring the pressure down to almost zero during some nights,” Aliabadi said on live television. “It’s not easy for the public, but this way we can save as much water as possible and reduce loss in the old pipelines that date back more than a century.”

 

Tehran’s infrastructure is feeling the strain. The city’s vast network of pipes , some laid over a hundred years ago , has suffered both from aging and, according to officials, even minor structural shocks during recent conflicts. The combination has worsened leaks and water loss at a time when every liter counts.

testing of an Iranian aircraft engine. May 01, 2023. Social Media / WANA News Agency

Behind the scenes, the dam reservoirs feeding Tehran are running perilously low. The managers of Latian and Amir Kabir dams — two of the capital’s main sources — describe an alarming picture.

 

“The Latian Dam, which can normally hold up to 76 million cubic meters of water, now contains only about 7 million,” said the dam’s director, calling it “the lowest level in 60 years of operation.”

 

Another reservoir, Amir Kabir Dam, is barely at a fraction of its usual capacity. “Under normal conditions, we’d store around 180 million cubic meters,” its manager said. “This year, due to five consecutive years of drought, that volume never went beyond 78 million. We are now down to just 12 million cubic meters — numbers we’ve never seen in the history of this dam.”

 

The situation, they warn, reflects an extreme 85–95% drop in rainfall compared to the long-term average. According to the National Meteorological Center, Tehran has received just 1 millimeter of rain since the start of the water year, compared to 25 millimeters normally. And the forecast offers little relief — no rain is expected until at least late November.

Cars pass during a snowfall on a street in Tehran, Iran, February 9, 2023. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Still, there has been little public communication. No clear schedule of water cuts, no official statement labeling it “rationing.” People find out only when the water vanishes — usually in the stillness of the night.

 

Residents who can afford it are installing rooftop tanks or pumps. Others simply wait it out. “We open the tap and sometimes nothing comes,” said one Tehran resident “We never know when it’ll happen. I fill bottles before bed, just in case.”

 

Environmental observers say transparency could help people prepare for what may become a long, dry winter. “If this continues, the government should publish a timetable for water cuts, just as it did for power shortages in summer,” one local suggested. “People can adapt — but they need to know what’s coming.”

 

Officials insist the measures are temporary — at least until mid-December, when the first meaningful rain is forecast. But the reservoirs may take years to recover.

Iran to Unveil New Generation of Nanobubble Technology for Wastewater Treatment

Iran to Unveil New Generation of Nanobubble Technology for Wastewater Treatment. Social media/ WANA News Agency

“We’ve seen an 85 percent drop in inflow to the Karaj basin,” said the Amir Kabir manager. “Even a good rain won’t solve this overnight.”

 

Many warn that Tehran’s “silent rationing” may be only the beginning. As climate change deepens Iran’s drought cycle, a city of nearly 9 million is being forced to face a new reality: the era of constant running water may be coming to an end.

 

For now, officials are urging citizens to install household storage tanks and conserve every drop. “The blessing of piped water has been with us for more than a century,” Minister Aliabadi reminded viewers. “But we must all realize that this blessing is no longer endless.”