Water supply to swimming pools in the Iranian capital is halted until further notice.
Authorities in the Iranian capital Tehran have halted the supply of piped water to swimming pools amid a drought that has led to restrictions on water usage.
The Water and Wastewater Company of Tehran announced on Wednesday that the provision of water to public and private swimming pools in the city will be halted as of July 24 and will continue until further notice.
The company said the decision had been made to allow for the better use of the existing water resources in Tehran and to meet the basic and necessary needs of all citizens.
The company also imposed restrictions on filling swimming pools in residential buildings.
The announcement comes amid rising demand for water in Tehran, a city of nearly 10 million people, where consumption has reached 4 million cubic meters per day.
The government announced a day of public holiday in the city on Wednesday, hoping the demand could fall by at least 10%.
Temperatures have hit over 40 degrees Celsius in many parts of Tehran in recent days, causing a major rise in demand for water in traditional evaporative coolers, which are used by millions of households in the city.
The local water company has also lowered the pressure in transmission pipes in several neighborhoods of the city to be able to manage the water supply.
The company said in its Wednesday statement that the current water scarcity in Tehran is the result of “five years of unprecedented drought and low precipitation”.
Iran’s Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said on Wednesday that the amount of water in reservoirs around Tehran had fallen by 50% compared to last summer, adding that the reduction was the result of a 41% drop in precipitation during wet months.
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